In a settlement regarding the lawsuit over the cost of the city’s 2005 council election, the county agreed to allow the city to pay $50,000 instead of the original $240,000 bill. The county’s charges for administering the city’s off-year elections have risen over the past 15 years, with recent projections approaching $600,000. City officials say hiring a private firm and holding even-year elections would save up to $300,000 annually.
