New Britain committee hears pay requests as registrars cite surge in early-voting duties

New Britain’s compensation committee met March 10, 2026, to gather information on proposed pay changes for the clerk of committees and the registrars of voters after presenters described expanded duties tied to recent state election-law changes. The committee did not vote on any pay adjustments and treated the session as an intake for a study that will move through the administration, finance and law committee.

Alman Santiago, speaking on behalf of the clerk of committees, said the council office has been operating without an administrator for months and proposed converting the clerk position to daytime, part-time coverage to ease workload. Santiago asked for "an $18,000 bump from the $12,000 that it is," saying that would equate to roughly $30,000 total and would add daytime coverage "to help alleviate some of the workload from the administrator." He told the committee the likely schedule would be about three days a week and that precise hours and funding will be set through the budget and civil service procedures.

"We are working on making that position a…