Monroe County clerk asks council for election appropriations as officials debate staffing and costs

County Clerk Nicole Brown told the Monroe County Council she needs more than $242,000 to fund this year's Election Board operations and comply with statutory minimum early‑voting hours and in‑person election-day coverage. "We do not have enough in the election budget to meet the statutory minimum hours of early voting and election day for the 2026 non‑presidential primary and general election," Brown said.

Brown said her budget was cut after fall hearings and expressed regret at not requesting the larger amount earlier. She described staffing and poll-worker compensation needs and said she had sought $25,000 to cover compensatory pay across two elections "to take care of the 10 to 20 people depending on the turnout." Brown asked the council to consider a $5,000 overtime appropriation as an interim measure.

Council members acknowledged the pressures on the clerk's office but urged caution. Council member David Henry asked whether the current allocations could fund the primary; Brown said they could, but Henry warned the council to save for the 2028 presidential election following Senate Bill 1. Kate Wilts and other councilors urged tighter review of expenditures and proposed a debrief at the June meeting to assess needs before additional appropriations.

During public comment, resident Gretchen Clearwater urged the council to plan contingencies for possible immigration-enforcement actions at polling places, and Susan Brockney said the coming elections "are not business as usual," describing broader concerns about democratic erosion.

The council did not record a final appropriation vote during the portions of the meeting covered in the transcript.