With the Biennial Election coming up November 4, 2025, the nomination papers are available beginning today (Aug 4, 2025) for candidates to take, obtain the appropriate number of signatures to get on the ballot.
We are sharing the section of the Annual Report for the Town of Franklin 2024 to help explain what each role entails. The first up is that of the Town Clerk.
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The obligations of the Town Clerk’s Office have changed dramatically over the last few years. I am very proud of the ability of my staff to adjust to the ever-changing requirements and needs of the public and their continuing ability to provide superior service to the residents of the Town of Franklin.
There will be many changes in the upcoming year. The Office of Vital Records and Statistics will be updating their very archaic software system. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts Voter Registration System is also updating their software as well, and if that’s not enough The Town of Franklin is also updating the Town’s Website and Accounting System Software. Seems like it’s the year of system updates.
I for one am thankful that this is all happening after the Presidential Election.
We are looking forward to learning the new systems and we are ecstatic to hear of the many positive changes coming to our Vital Records and Voter Registration software.
The ability of this office to successfully implement these new changes while also to provide for the needs of our constituents is a testament to the professional abilities of my office.
Meet your Town Clerk Staff:
- Nancy Danello, Certified Municipal Town Clerk
- Dyan Fitzgerald, Deputy Town Clerk
- Melissa Kiriacopolous, Administrative Asst.
HISTORY TOWN CLERK OFFICE
“The office of town clerk is probably one of the oldest in municipal government. It appears in the Bible in the Book of Acts, Chapter 19, and verse 35 written in A.D. 58. A search of other early written records would no doubt reveal other instances in which mention of this office appears. In Massachusetts, town clerk was one of the earliest offices established in colonial towns although the title itself may not appear in the earliest records. The settlers were well aware of the importance of keeping accurate written records of their agreements and actions including grants of land, regulations governing animals, the collection of taxes and the expenditure of town funds. If your town records date back to the first half of the 17th century, you will probably find that a person was given the specific duty of writing down town orders and will see many entries in the record which include the words “It is ordered by the inhabitants,” or some similar words. Indeed, in Massachusetts, the town clerk was one of the earliest offices established in colonial towns.”
ONLINE SERVICE
Our online service continues to be a success!! This has been a convenient way for the public to request and purchase birth, death and marriage certificates. This improvement has also been a great success for our dog owners who need to license a new dog or renew their yearly dog license. These document requests and payment options are available online anytime of the day, 7 days a week. To use this service, visit the town website at franklinma.gov/townclerk.
NOTARY SERVICE
The Town Clerk’s office provides Notary services as a courtesy. Residents seeking Notary Services should call the Town Clerk’s office prior to their visit to ensure that the Notary is available. The following guidelines will be followed in the provision of Notary Service: - Notary Services are available during the normal business hours. Notary Service is provided on a first-come, first service basis. Please be sure to have valid government-issued photo ID if you are seeking this service. Remember, the document must be signed in the presence of the Notary. Notary Service is not available for deeds, mortgages, wills, living wills, living trusts, power of attorneys, or depositions. Certain public documents cannot be copied and notarized. For more information please visit our website. The Town Clerk, Nancy Danello, and Deputy Town Clerk, Dyan Fitzgerald are also Commissioners to qualify, which means if you are a Notary Public or a Justice of the Peace and need to be given the “Oath of Office” we can perform this service for you free of charge.
There are additional duties of the Town Clerk. You can continue to read the extract from the Annual Report of 2024 here ->
or dig into the full annual report here ->
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| Annual Report of the Town of Franklin Town Clerk’s Office - FY 2024 |
