I am a retired city clerk who has 30 years’ experience in the profession as an elected and appointed City Clerk. I have had the opportunity to serve several cities throughout California. Each city was different in its expectations of the City Clerk and the duties of the office. Some cities place a great deal of responsibility on its City Clerk, where other cities see the position in a more clerical role. In each city, I learned new methods, new technology, and gained more knowledge of the profession which has given me a diverse view of the role of a City Clerk. I have administered stand-alone elections, special elections, recalls, and consolidated elections. I have developed records management programs and prepared retention schedules. I have supervised staff and not had any staff at all. I feel my varied background has given me a unique look at the role of the City Clerk.
I want to share my expertise with you along with my perspective of the City Clerk’s role in City government.