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Over the years municipal clerks have become the
hub of government, the direct link between the inhabitants of their
community and their government. The clerk is the historian
of the community, for the entire recorded history of the town (city)
and its people is in his or her care.
The
eminent political scientist, Professor William Bennett Munro, writing
in one of the first textbooks on municipal administration (1934),
stated:
"No
other office in municipal service has so many contacts. It
serves the mayor, the city council, the city manager (when there
is one), and all administrative departments without exception.
All of them call upon it, almost daily, for some service or information.
Its work is not spectacular, but it demands versatility, alertness,
accuracy, and no end of patience. The public does not realize
how many loose ends of city administration this office pulls together."
What is a City Clerk?
Echoing the
immortal words of President Harry S. Truman, who, upon his visit to
Pittsburgh asked, "What the heck is a Prothonatary?"
(Although he did not say "heck") many people ask the same question
of the City Clerk. Just what is a City Clerk, and what is the
City Clerk's place in government?
The
official functions and duties of the City Clerk are outlined in
the Functions and Duties section of this web site. In this section we hope to provide you with a more esoteric view of the
City Clerk's role, and the background and history of this office.
The
City Clerk functions much like the Secretary of State. The City
Clerk is a Department Head responsible for the legislative operations
of the city and directly accountable to the City Council.
The City Clerk has direct signature authority and his/her signature
is required on all Ordinances, Resolutions, and other official documents
of the city. The City Clerk's office is a citywide information
and document resource, and is the official records management office
for the City. Every municipality in the United States has
a City Clerk or someone who functions as one
Our
present City Clerk & Deputy City Clerk are esteemed members
of the International Institute of Municipal Clerks (IIMC). This
professional organization boasts over 10,000 members, and is comprised
of City Clerks and Deputy City Clerks from the United States, Canada,
and other countries. IIMC provides all City Clerks and their assistants
with a variety of services and activities to assist them with the
duties and responsibilities of their office. The official
Mission and Purpose of the organization, as indicated in Article
III of the Constitution of the International Institute of Municipal
Clerks, is to prepare its membership to meet the challenge of the
diverse roles of the Municipal Clerk by providing services and continuing
professional development opportunities to benefit members and the
governments they serve.
Our present City Clerk is in the process of achieving Certified
Municipal Clerk (CMC) status, and our Deputy City Clerk will soon
enter this program. The IIMC Certification Program is a nationally
acclaimed award which has advanced the careers of countless clerks.
The first Certified Municipal Clerk Program was initiated in 1969
by the membership of IIMC to recognize those Municipal Clerks who
had achieved basic levels of professional competency. The
CMC award is granted after an applicant has met specific requirements
in education, experience and professional participation. The
IIMC's central education mission is to provide and facilitate Municipal
Clerk learning opportunities directed toward these ends and to the
public good.
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