Monroe County Council trims clerk’s $242,781 election request to $5,000 for overtime after hours and staffing debate
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Summary
After a lengthy hearing, the council approved only a $5,000 overtime line for the clerk’s elections budget and directed the clerk to use existing election‑fund balances and in‑house transfers for the May primary, with a commitment to revisit funding needs after the primary.
Monroe County Council approved a narrowed appropriation for elections on Tuesday night after a nearly three‑hour debate over staffing, early‑voting hours and how to cover anticipated costs for 2026.
County Clerk Nicole Brown and her election supervisor told the council the office lacks money in its overtime line and detailed gaps created when budget cuts were applied after last fall’s hearings. Brown said the office needs funds to preserve extended early‑voting hours and to pay poll workers and internal leads. "Free and fair elections are not free," Brown said, arguing past practice of budgeting toward presidential‑year turnout would have avoided the current shortfall.
The clerk initially requested $242,781 in additional appropriations for election day staffing, early‑voting coverage, absentee processing and services. Council members pressed staff on whether money already exists in the Elections fund and whether the office could rely on category transfers and comp‑time instead of immediate cash payments. Finance staff reported the unexpended balance in the election fund exceeds $1 million but that the hiring‑freeze and overtime rules restrict moving funds into the overtime line without council approval.
After multiple amendments and public testimony from election‑board members and local voters, Councilor Decker proposed, and the council adopted, a compromise: zero out the clerk’s other requested account lines for now and approve a $5,000 additional appropriation strictly for the office’s overtime line so the clerk can staff early voting at the customary 8 a.m.–6 p.m. schedule. Councilor Decker said the move was intended to protect voters’ access while giving the council time to review actual spending after the primary. "We could fund the traditional primary now with a little in‑house transfers and then come back after May," he said.
Councilors and the clerk agreed the office may perform internal transfers and, if necessary, return to council for category transfers or a supplemental appropriation later. The council also recorded a unanimous roll‑call vote to adopt the amended request, and members asked the clerk to report back with a debrief in June on how the primary’s spending tracked to the revised allocations.
What happens next: The election board will meet this week to finalize early‑voting locations and hours; the clerk’s office has been advised to use available in‑fund balances and transfers first and to return to council if further appropriations are needed. The council requested a post‑primary update on spending and staffing needs.
