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Town of Clinton board reviews preliminary 2026 budget; clerk-hours increase approved for final budget, GPS purchase deferred pending policy and union talks
Summary
At a Nov. 5 public hearing on the Town of Clinton’s preliminary 2026 budget, board members agreed to include a correction increasing a town clerk position from 12 to 15 hours and debated whether to buy GPS devices for highway trucks, noting union and privacy issues and a Jan. 1 procurement deadline.
At a public hearing on the Town of Clinton’s preliminary fiscal 2026 budget, the board opened public comment, reviewed proposed salary figures and discussed two amendments that will be added to the final budget: restoring a second town clerk’s hours to 15 and further consideration of GPS units for highway trucks.
Speaker 3 read the hearing notice and budget filing information, stating, “Notice is hereby given that the preliminary budget for the town of Clinton for the fiscal year beginning 01/01/2026 … was filed on 10/23/2025 in the town clerk’s office,” and giving the hearing time and location. The notice also listed proposed 2026 salaries, including $8,598 for each town board member, $22,675 for each town justice, $42,131 for the town supervisor, $9,144 for the tax collector, $59,867 for the town clerk and $71,373 for the highway superintendent.
During the public-comment portion, Speaker 2 raised a correction to the draft: the second town clerk position had been entered as 12 hours but “it should remain 15 this year.” Speaker 2 said that change would increase the preliminary budget by about $3,715. Board members discussed whether restoring the hours would make the clerk eligible for benefits and how signed waivers about benefits would affect final calculations.
Board members also addressed a written request from a highway employee identified in the record as “Todd” to equip town trucks with GPS. Speakers debated the need for GPS given planned new radios; Speaker 5 proposed drive cams as an alternative, saying they provide both interior and exterior coverage and can document collisions. The board repeatedly emphasized that a formal policy would have to be developed before any tracking equipment was installed. Speaker 3 noted state requirements for driver notification and advised the board to consult the union, saying the town “may have to open your CSEA contract.” The record includes both “CSCA” and “CSEA” as acronyms; the transcript uses both variants.
On cost, Speaker 2 referenced a per-unit or per-truck figure of $17.28 and said that adding both the clerk-hours correction and the GPS request at the discussed level would raise the budget by roughly $5,002.99. Speaker 2 also noted that the quoted GPS price is valid only through Jan. 1 and urged the board to decide procurement timing in light of that deadline.
The board agreed there were trade-offs between line items and surplus dollars but did not identify specific highway line-item cuts at the hearing. Speaker 2 said the discussed changes would be added to the final budget and that the board intends to act on the final budget on Nov. 11; the overage report will be distributed to members before that meeting.
Procedurally, Speaker 2 moved to open the floor to public comments (seconded by Speaker 4) and later moved to close the public hearing; the motion to close carried on aye votes. Speaker 2 then moved to adjourn and the board voted to adjourn.
What happens next: the board will incorporate the clerk-hours correction into the final budget and will continue discussing the GPS purchase and any required policy or bargaining steps before authorizing procurement or installation.
