'More time means more money': Montville registrars ask for raise
Feb. 22—MONTVILLE — The town's registrars of voters have asked the Town Council for an $8,000-a-year raise because they say they will have to work extra hours to prepare and staff early voting for the November election.
"More time means more money," Republican Registrar Jeff Rogers said Thursday.
Rogers said he and Democratic Registrar Mary Hillman each currently receive yearly stipends of $22,000 and are supposed to work about 19.5 hours per week, which averages out to approximately $21 an hour.
"So we're looking to go from $22,000 to $30,000, which will take us from $21 to $28 (per hour)," he added.
Rogers, who proposed the increase to the Town Council on Feb. 12, said it is needed because of the state's new early voting law.
Signed by Gov. Ned Lamont last June, the law requires that towns hold 14 days of early voting for general elections, seven days of early voting for primaries and four days of early voting for special elections and presidential preference primaries.
During the meeting, Council Chairman Tim May questioned why the raise should be in effect every year when early voting process is not used every year.
But Rogers replied that the early voting process will remain in place for each primary, election and the annual budget referendum.
The new law will bring the town's total number of voting days to 28, Rogers said Thursday.
"And so the preparation for that is a lot. It's a whole new process and that is going to require a lot more time," he said.
For the raise to be approved, it will have to be put on the council's meeting agenda and approved by resolution.
May said Thursday he was supportive of a pay raise.
"We're not asking for a lot," Rogers said. "We're just trying to keep up with the economy that's affecting everybody."
The town's presidential preference primaries will begin March 26, and will then take place on March 27, 28 and 30.
Rogers added that the registrars budget is up 76% overall, and that a "bulk of that comes down to staffing" for the new voting program.
