General Purpose
The office of the Town Clerk is responsible for the management of statutory functions including: the maintenance of town records; coordination and administration of elections; issuance of permits and licenses; recording and reporting of vital statistics; and other duties pertaining to the functions of the town clerk in accordance with the provisions of the Massachusetts General Laws.
Under state statute, the Town Clerk, by virtue of the position, is a member of the Board of Registrars and carries out the daily functions of this office along with the office staff. Major responsibilities include the conducting of elections, compilation of the annual Census and the Street/Voter Lists, certification of nomination papers and petitions, and maintenance
and custody of the ballot boxes. The Town Clerk and Elections staff recruits election workers, processes absentee ballots and records election results. They rely solely on the Commonwealth’s Central Voter Registry.
Core Functions
● Custodian of the Town Seal/ Keeper of permanent and vital records.
● Responsible for issuing marriage licenses, dog licenses, business licenses, and underground storage and hazardous materials licenses.
● Posting of agendas and minutes to various boards & committees.
● Responsible for recording and collecting various citations as well as vital statistics.
● Updates and transmits all approved new legislation to General Code.
● Responsible for preparing the Annual Town Report and the Annual Street Listing.
● Conducts elections in conformance with State, Federal, and Local Laws.
● Processes voter registration and certifications.
● Ensures that all employees, board/committee members and elected officials are current with ethics training.
● Certifies all appropriations and borrowing authorizations.
● Conducts oath of office.
● Ensures that all boards/committees adhere to the Open Meeting Law.
● Commissioners to qualify - are individuals appointed by the Governor who are authorized to administer oaths of office to public officials.
● All staff members also serve as Notary Publics.
● Maintains the Town Code..
Staffing
Town Clerk
● One (1) Town Clerk
● One (1) Deputy Town Clerk
● One (1) Licensing Specialist
Elections Department
● One (1) Elections Specialist
● Four (4) Registrars (Includes Town Clerk)
● Nine (9) Wardens
● Four (4) Senior Tax Work Off Employees
Strategic Initiatives & Accomplishments
● Continue to upgrade software and systems for the digital voter machines and Poll Pads for ease of voting and also upgrade all security devices and supplies needed to run a compliant, safe, and secure election.
● Provide excellent customer service. Service with a smile!
● Certify Nomination/Petition Papers for Elections.
● 2026 Census (13,607 dwelling units) - updates and changes (moved, name changes, occupation, additional family members, change of party, new voters, etc.) Currently there are 3700 (27%) non- responders.
● Manages our vacant properties report. This is solely due to residents not registering as a resident.
● In an effort to keep our resident/voter roll as accurate as possible, our elections specialist is in constant contact with the apartment complexes and senior living facilities to update resident’s status before starting our very costly second mailing.
● Voter Registration – new registration, pre-registration, party change etc. to stay in compliance with State Regulations. This is a report that is generated on a daily basis provided by the Commonwealth and the Registry of Motor Vehicles.
● Preparing for 2026 Elections – State Primary (9/1/2026) State Election (11/3/2026)
● Preparing for in-person early voting/vote by mail – Since the addition of our Elections Specialist we can now offer in person early voting in the Town Clerk’s Office therefore saving the Town and Schools thousands of dollars.
● Current population as of March 2026 is 32,658; 25,760 Registered Voters, 6,898 Non-Voters.
FY27 Requested Budget Highlights
● The Town Clerk’s expenses are increasing by $2,000 compared to FY26.
○ Consulting Services will increase from $6,000 to $8,000 since the fees associated with the creation and maintenance of the Town Code have increased.
● The Elections Department expenses are increasing by $600, due to an increase in the annual maintenance fee for our election tabulators. The Town has 13 tabulators (including spares) and this small increase will ensure that our tabulators are maintained and in perfect working order.
FY27 Requested Budget Summary
The Town Clerk’s office is responsible for keeping track of all town legislation, bylaws and regulations. Every time that the Town Council amends bylaws or legislation, the Town Clerk sends this information to a company called “General Code” which updates the online version of our Town Code. The same company also creates a new hard copy book with the changes on an annual basis. The Town Code is a vital document for the Town and the small increase will ensure that it continues to be maintained in a consistent and accurate manner.
In FY27 there are two elections, the State Primary (9/1/26) and the State Election (11/3/26) The election department is a year-round job and with the town’s population continuing to grow, there is no down time. We are fortunate to have an experienced Elections Specialist who is proficient in maintaining our voter roll as well as our residents list.
