Alton selectmen adopt most 2026 departmental budgets; e‑poll tablet purchase tabled

The Alton Board of Selectmen on Oct. 28 approved the bulk of the town’s 2026 departmental budgets and a five‑year prosecutor contract, while deferring a proposal to buy electronic poll‑book tablets for elections.

During a lengthy budget session the board approved the following budgets as presented by staff: Planning/Zoning ($157,510), Parks & Recreation ($141,204), Water Department ($600,916), Police Department ($1,586,715), Administration ($465,946), Building Department ($152,127) and Town Clerk/Tax Collector ($213,843). The board also approved the legal expenses budget ($145,418) and later voted to approve the prosecutor contract discussed by staff.

Police leadership told the board payroll increases drove the department’s budget and outlined plans to fund a full‑time school resource officer partly reimbursed by the school district. The chief described rising technology and evidence‑processing costs — including higher fees for Cellebrite, the phone‑data extraction software — and proposed adding $40,000 to a capital reserve fund for police vehicles this year and next to smooth replacement cycles.

The board discussed a draft five‑year prosecutor contract presented by the town administrator; staff said the prosecutor had already signed the contract and the agreement includes termination language allowing either party to void the contract with 30 days’ written notice. The contract’s annual total was discussed in roughly the $71,000–$72,000 range during the meeting; the board approved the contract and the legal budget.

Election and registration drew focused discussion after staff proposed purchasing e‑poll‑pad check‑in tablets (five units discussed). The purchase price for new equipment was presented in the mid‑five‑figure range (approximately $12,500 was cited in the discussion as a purchase cost), and ongoing support was described as roughly $300 per unit per year. Several selectmen raised lifecycle, maintenance and recurring‑cost concerns and asked for input from the town clerk; the board tabled the election and registration budget pending further information.

Town Administrator Heath also flagged a state surplus‑land review proposing to bring power to the Sunset Lake dam to improve monitoring; the board expressed no objection and directed staff to review further if necessary.

What’s next: The board will reconvene on pending budget items at a later meeting, and staff will return with clarified totals (including the town’s overall projected tax impact) and additional information about the proposed election equipment.