Should we elect or appoint the Town Clerk/Treasurer?

The Colchester Governance Committee is an advisory Committee of the Selectboard.  The Committee is considering recommending a fundamental change to the Town Charter and would like public input on this issue: Should the Town Clerk/Treasurer remain an elected position or should the position be an appointment?

As Colchester has grown and the management of the Town and School’s finances have become more complex, the professional qualifications of the Town Clerk/Treasurer have become critical. The Clerk/Treasurer supervises four assistant clerks and is ultimately responsible for all Town and School funds. In order to guarantee the continuation of the quality service the town expects, we’re considering a proposal to recommend that the Clerk/Treasurer be appointed. When the position becomes vacant the Selectboard and/or Town Manager could then review and select from a pool of highly qualified applicants.

On the other hand the Town Clerk/Treasurer, as an elected position, is first and foremost responsible to the voters and provides a valuable check against the Town’s Finance Department. In addition, the Clerk’s office may be more responsive to the public when each person walking in the door votes for or against the office manager every two years.

There are many important considerations in this decision and the Governance Committee would like to hear your opinion before it makes its recommendation to the Selectboard. Any charter change will require Selectboard hearings, a vote to put it before the voters, a vote by the town, and approval by the State Legislature. This is an early step in the process.

Please consider attending the Governance Committee’s next meeting on Monday, May 12^th at the Kirker room of the Police Station at 7:00 PM when we will take public input on this important issue.  We appreciate your help.