#MiddleburyCT #RegistrarOfVoters #SmallClaimsCourt #Settlement
By MARJORIE NEEDHAM
Democratic Registrar of Voters Fran Barton has repeatedly said at Board of Selectmen meetings that he is owed hourly wages for work he has done during elections. Because Barton is an elected official who is paid a stipend, the Town has thus far refused to pay him the additional money he is demanding. On July 9, 2026, Barton filed a claim for $992 plus interest in Waterbury Small Claims Court to collect the money he says is due him.
Barton’s claim states he has worked two elections and not been paid wages for the hours worked. It says for the past 34 years the Town of Middlebury has paid registrars a stipend and also paid them hourly wages for working and preparing for elections. It notes the town’s current CFO and former First Selectman Edward B. St John in 2024 approved the hourly rates. It also asks for 6% interest dating to March 3, 2026. St. John left office in 2025. First Selectwoman Jennifer Mahr is now the town’s CEO.
Documents submitted with Barton’s claim show he worked 15.5 hours at $31 an hour ($480.50) at the March 3, 2026, Democratic primary and 16.5 hours at $31 an hour ($511.50) at the May 6, 2026, town budget referendum.
On August 21, the court held a remote settlement conference and trial. The Town offered to settle for $2,500. The agreement to be signed stated Barton would agree to settle the lawsuit and any claim or potential claim for additional compensation for Fiscal Year 2025-2026. Mahr, who represented the Town during the conference, said Barton refused to accept the proposed agreement. She said he mentioned he was keeping a running tab of the hourly wages owed him. One more election has been held since he filed his claim – the August 11 primaries. We have emailed Barton asking him to comment on this, but had not heard back as of press time.
As a result of the conference and trial, the court has ordered the Town to file a motion to dismiss the case with additional legal support for its defenses, on or before September 21, 2026. It also ordered Barton to respond to the Town’s motion and brief within 21 days of its receipt.
Per court documents available online, the Town’s defense is “The Court lacks subject matter jurisdiction to adjudicate this claim because the Plaintiff is an elected official whose stipend is set.” The fact that Barton is an elected official rather than a town employee is at the center of this disagreement.
In past administrations, Barton was paid hourly wages in addition to his stipend. Barton says he is owed both the stipend and the hourly wages. First Selectwoman Jennifer Mahr says as an elected official, Barton is paid a stipend for performing his duties as registrar and that stipend covers all of his duties. He, therefore, is not entitled to be paid additional hourly wages.
This subject has led to heated discussions at Board of Selectmen meetings, most recently at the June 15, 2026, meeting when Mahr presented the 2026-2027 pay plan for approval. For the first time, it listed those working elections by job title with hourly rates for each position to avoid confusion. Selectman J. Paul Vance asked about the pay for the registrars, saying he understood Mahr was to discuss that pay with Board of Finance Chairman Vincent Cipriano. He asked why it couldn’t be $30 an hour per election, saying that would solve the problem. He referred to the unfunded state mandate for early voting, which has increased the number of days the polls are open. Mahr responded the Board of Finance deferred a decision until their July meeting. Board of Finance Committee meeting minutes show that on July 8, 2026, they discussed the issue but took no action.
Then the Selectmen voted on August 17, 2026, to settle with Barton for $2,500. Now that he has refused the settlement, it seems things are back to square one.
