Help wanted: Interim town clerk, treasurer needed soon

May 27, 2022  |  By Lisa Scagliotti 

The Town of Waterbury soon will need to name a new town clerk and treasurer to serve until Town Meeting Day 2023 and the help wanted ad is now posted seeking applicants. 

Carla Lawrence, Waterbury’s current town clerk and treasurer, has held those elected offices since 2008. She recently announced plans to retire at the end of August which will leave a six-month stretch until the next local election. 

In Waterbury as in many Vermont towns, the same individual has held both positions for many years although they are separate offices. And while the voters typically fill the positions, when a vacancy occurs in between elections it falls to the Select Board to appoint a temporary successor. That individual may then choose to run for election on the next Town Meeting Day. 

Lawrence has posted a notice on the town website, WaterburyVt.com, with the details. It notes that state statute specifies the duties of municipal clerks and treasurers. 

The town website’s town clerk section lists some of the key responsibilities such as receiving and recording land records, issuing birth and death certificates as well as marriage licenses and dog licenses. 

Town clerks also handle some state Department of Motor Vehicle business such as vehicle registrations and renewals, including snowmobiles. 

One of the most important roles of the town clerk has is overseeing voter registration and elections. Lawrence will preside over the state primary election on August 9, and her successor’s first election will be the general election on November 8, followed by next Town Meeting Day which will be March 7, 2023. 

The job is full-time with two important requirements that the person holding it both lives in Waterbury and is registered to vote here. 

As for compensation, the Select Board would negotiate the salary with the appointee. The clerk/treasurer salary this year is budgeted at just over $62,000 based on Lawrence’s many years of experience. Municipal Manager Bill Shepeluk said the range for the position would start at approximately $45,000.

Lawrence has said she would be available to assist with the transition for her successor. Waterbury also has a part-time Assistant Town Clerk and Treasurer Beth Jones. 

Interested candidates are asked to apply with a letter by June 16 to the Waterbury Select Board at 28 North Main Street, Suite 1, Waterbury, VT  05676. 

For more information, email or call Lawrence at clawrence@waterburyvt.com or 802-244-8447.