ORANGE — The lone question on Monday’s town election ballot asks voters if they wish to convert the elected town clerk position into an appointed one.
The topic has been discussed at Selectboard meetings, with members and residents voicing their support or disapproval of the idea. A motion authorizing the change was adopted at an Annual Town Meeting for the question to be put on the ballot.
The town clerk position has always been an elected one, but some say the residency requirement hampers Orange’s ability to find a quality town clerk — and there is always the possibility no Orange resident runs for the job.
Nancy Blackmer, who has been town clerk since 1999, previously explained the conversion, if enacted, would take effect when her current three-year term ends in March 2023. She mentioned she could then retire, unless she preemptively informs the Selectboard she is interested in being appointed to the position.
“There are benefits to keeping it elected; there are benefits to making it appointed,” Blackmer said during a previous Selectboard meeting, adding she would not state an opinion on the matter because she wanted to remain impartial due to the fact that, as town clerk, she runs the local elections. A town clerk’s duties also include issuing licenses, certificates and notifications, and various administrative responsibilities.
At previous meetings, the majority of the Selectboard has voiced support for making the position an appointed one.
“Elections don’t always turn up the most qualified person,” Selectboard Chair Jane Peirce said previously.
Resident and former Selectboard member Richard Sheridan, who has since been re-elected to the board, said he has always been opposed to making an elected position an appointed one, saying it takes away the will of the people.
“And I think town clerk is one of the most important positions to keep elected,” he said previously. “We’ve had some great town clerks. We have a great town clerk.”
An appointed town clerk would be hired through a recruiting process from the town’s Human Resources Department. This would be followed by interviews with the town administrator. The person would ultimately be hired and appointed by the Selectboard.
If the position becomes an appointed one, it is recommended the person selected have an associate’s degree, three to five years of management experience developing and implementing guidelines, and at least five years of increasingly responsible municipal experience, including experience working with the public. Also, municipal experience with codes, statutes or bylaws would be helpful. However, there are no training, educational or experience requirements for an elected position.
For the second year in a row, there are no contested races in Orange’s election.
Most races have enough candidates to fill each available position, though some do not, and two — one for the cemetery commissioners and one for the Housing Authority — have nobody running at all.
Polls will be open at 62 Cheney St. from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Monday, March 7. Due to the poor condition of the Orange Armory, the Selectboard voted in October to temporarily relocate the town offices based in the armory to 62 Cheney St., the rectory of the former Bethany Evangelical Lutheran Church.
Patricia A. Lussier, the Selectboard’s current clerk, is the lone candidate on the ballot for a three-year seat — the only Selectboard position up for grabs. Longtime Moderator Christopher Woodcock is also running for re-election. James E. Gallagher and Randy D. Plante are running for two of the trio of three-year constable positions.
Patricia D. Pierson, chair of the Board of Health, is running for the board’s only available seat, which is for three years. Candace L. Cross and Sandra M. Johnson are seeking re-election to three-year seats as library trustees.
Three seats with three-year terms are available on the Orange Elementary School Committee, but Malory L. Ellis is the only name in the race. Kimberly Scot is running for the only one-year position on the committee. Peter M. Cross and Sharon L. Gilmore are seeking re-election to a pair of three-year spots on the Ralph C. Mahar Regional School District School Committee.
Carl L. Sauter is running for re-election as a water commissioner. Douglas S. McIntosh is looking to be re-elected to a veteran-exclusive position with the trustees of soldiers’ memorials and Michelle L. LeBlanc is doing the same for a non-veteran position with the trustees. Tracy S. Gaudet is running for re-election to a five-year seat on the Housing Authority.
Reach Domenic Poli at: dpoli@recorder.com or
413-772-0261, ext. 262.