Allenstown board hires police officer to meet academy deadline and fills budget committee vacancies

The Allenstown Board of Selectmen voted Monday to hire Elijah Boyle as a full‑time police officer, approving an hourly rate of $27.97 and setting the start date as July 5, 2026 to enable his enrollment in the August police academy.

The hire was introduced by board staff who told the board there were only a few slots left for the August academy — “about three” — creating a tight deadline to enroll the candidate. The board moved, seconded and approved the appointment by roll call; the transcript records the vote as affirmative from Diane, Trish, Chris, Jonathan and Kathleen.

The board also approved appointments to the Municipal Budget Committee for one‑year terms expiring March 9, 2027. The names read from the packet contained inconsistent spellings in the meeting record; the packet as read by the Chair listed four nominees for the one‑year openings. The board moved to appoint the listed nominees and approved the motion by roll call.

Why it matters: Approving the new hire allows the department to place the candidate in the next available academy class, helping the town address staffing needs. The budget committee appointments fill the panel that reviews municipal spending and supports the town’s budget process through the next fiscal cycle.

Details and process notes: The hire was described as time‑sensitive because the next available academy after August would not be until January. The motion to hire did not include a recorded mover in the transcript beyond “So moved.” The Municipal Budget Committee nominations were presented from the meeting folder; the transcript contains two differing spellings for several nominee names, which are noted in clarifying details below.

The meeting then proceeded to other business without further action on these personnel items.