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Town clerk asks for second workstation, records cleanup hours and secure storage ahead of three elections next year
Summary
Town clerk reported staffing and equipment requests including a second workstation and sit‑stand desk for a newly hired assistant, additional hours and miscellaneous expenses for records clean‑up, a replacement laptop and a fire‑proof filing solution; the clerk cited three state elections next year as a driver of increased costs.
Brookfield’s town clerk presented a modest set of budget requests tied to an anticipated new assistant and the workload created by three statewide elections in 2026.
The clerk said the office has received an invoice from a vendor for software for the coming year and requested a second workstation (PC with two monitors) and a sit‑stand desk so the clerk and a new assistant can work simultaneously at the service counter. The clerk said the vendor provided recommended equipment and a desktop cost estimate of about $499 for one corner desktop to place at the existing desk.
The clerk also asked for increased wages and additional hours for records maintenance, citing the need to clean up voter registration files and to account for underestimates of post‑election closeout time. The clerk noted that the state DMV has shifted much training online and that travel for training should be limited; some course and workshop fees were included to allow both staff to attend one‑day events.
Office miscellaneous expenses include a request for secure file storage and a replacement laptop, and the clerk told the board the office may need a four‑drawer fire‑resistant cabinet to protect binders and the laptop. The clerk estimated line items conservatively and said some costs may be understated; the board asked the clerk to recheck estimates and return with clarified numbers.
On technology, the clerk said she is investigating an online credit‑card payment solution that may integrate with current DMV interfaces and could cost little to nothing; the board asked the clerk to verify implementation and any recurring costs. The clerk suggested starting with online‑only payments rather than accepting cards in the office, if necessary.
The clerk said next year will include two state elections in addition to the scheduled local general election, increasing election‑related wage costs. The board did not take a final vote on the clerk’s budget requests and asked staff to produce updated cost estimates for hardware, secure storage and any online‑payment integration before the next budget meeting.
