Appoint the town clerk? Wells mulling asking voters that question one more time
WELLS, Maine — Should the town clerk be an appointed position in Wells instead of an elected one?
Voters said “yes” when asked during the annual town meeting in June, but there was a twist. Not enough voters reported to the polls to amend the town charter that day, so the favorable 743-657 vote did not take.
To change the town clerk position from an elected one to an appointed one, voter turnout in June needed to be at least 30% of the turnout during the last gubernatorial election, which took place back in November. That didn’t happen.
As a result, since June, the position has remained an elected one, with incumbent Town Clerk Brenda Layman continuing to serve in the role.
The Wells Select Board is considering asking voters the same question again, hoping the second time at the polls will be the charm.
During a recent Select Board meeting, Town Manager Michael Pardue said Layman had approached him about how she is hoping to retire.
“She had concerns about how that position could be filled, recognizing the complexities of the role of town clerk and the complexities of every election now taking place,” Pardue said.
A town clerk has many roles at a town hall: election supervisor, record keeper, and agent for the town and state, for example. Layman and her predecessor, her sister, Jessica Keyes, have appeared before the Select Board and talked about the nuances and necessity of the position, Pardue said. Neither Layman nor Keyes said they know of anyone qualified for or interested in the position, he added.
“They’ve advocated for the town to give great consideration to making the position appointed,” Pardue said.
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The Select Board, he said, is once again considering the idea. The board will hold a public hearing on the proposal at its meeting on Aug. 15 and will hold four more, on Sept. 5 and 19 and Oct. 3 and 17, with the hope the issue can appear on the November ballot.
“Brenda’s feeling is that, based on some of the topics that will be before voters in November, the turnout will be much more significant – and, therefore, the threshold can be met,” Pardue said.
Pardue said if voters approve making the town clerk position an appointed one, the town would be allowed to advertise and specify the qualifications, skills and knowledge needed.
The public hearings will be held during the board’s regular meetings. Meetings are held at the Wells Town Hall at 208 Sanford Road and begin at 6 p.m.
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Select Board chair makes case for an appointed town clerk
Select Board Chair John MacLeod III said the voters’ approval the first time is what’s prompting the town to give the proposal another day at the polls.
“If it failed, I don’t know if we would be having this conversation again,” he said.
MacLeod also brought up what he considered a benefit to having the town clerk as an appointed position.
“Part of the issue (is) the residency requirement,” he said. “Somebody who’s running for an elected position has to be a resident of the town, so that limits the pool of availability candidates.”
MacLeod also took the occasion to thank Layman for staying on as town clerk, given that unmet threshold at the last election and her own wish to retire.
“Her role is crucial, so I’m really glad she was able to do that for the community,” he said.
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This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Wells seeks to change town clerk role from elected to appointed
