By Paul Conyers
Hudson Administrator, Steve Malizia, warned officials that 2024 would require a slightly larger investment from the town to ensure a smooth electoral process. At the Tuesday, Nov. 7, Budget Committee meeting.
“There will be the state primary, the state general election, and then the town meeting, so there’s three elections next year in two locations,” warned Malizia. “It’s a substantial increase, new tabulator machines add $52,000 right there.”
Current voting machines are considered outdated, and the Town Moderator written budget request included a request to replace the tabulating machines before the 2024 election season, which will start early next year. Parts are also scarce, and maintaining old machines has become increasingly difficult, while paper jams have been an increasingly common occurrence over the past few years. The budget will also include a temporary increase in town police detail to oversee election security. The Budget Committee requested the Town Moderator to attend the Thursday, Nov. 9, meeting to answer additional questions.
The NH Secretary of State has already approved two types of voting machines for local purchase. At the moment, Hudson has five tabulator units and needs to rent one more for each election to keep up with voter demand. The upcoming budget request includes the purchase of eight new units.
“Integrity in the election is important, and new tabulators I think will ensure that,” said Malizia.
Budget Committee member, Kathy Leary, also requested new poll pads to streamline the voter registration process.
“In the last elections, we’ve had one poll pad per each supervisor table for voter registration, and on the big elections, they want us to use the poll pads because it makes tabulations easier at the end of the night,” said Leary. “Voters fill out the paper form to register, use the poll pad to get their little slip to actually vote, and it was a huge component in the long lines of people waiting to get to the one poll pad.”
The bill for aid for the town’s under priviledged will be higher next year due to the sunsetting of federal COVID-assistance laws.
According to Malizia, “We have to provide at least the first line of assistance” for the town’s under privilidged, including utility assistance in certain cases.
Vice Chair, Bill Cole, proposed cutting the Hudson legal budget by $8,000 after learning that the Board of Selectmen has kept the town attorney on a no-bid contract for the past eight years due in part to a level hourly rate.
“I would like to go to bed thinking that my tax bill is not supporting a no-bid contract, year in, year out here in Hudson for legal services,” said Cole. “No-bid contracts will destroy you in a heartbeat, we’re already seeing that in some other areas of our town finances.”
Committee member, Shawn Jasper, noted that cutting the legal budget would not have much practical effect as the town is obliged to pay any legal bills that might come up. Jasper also argued that it could send the “wrong message” and drive away the town attorney.
No decision was made on the proposed cut, and the Budget Committee pledged to take up the matter again by the Dec. 6 meeting. There are many budget committee meetings over the next few weeks. Nov. 9, 15, and 29, Dec. 6 and 7, according to the town’s website.