ELECTIONS:
Annual Town Meeting - May 2, 2011
Annual Town Election - May 17, 2011
Special Town Meeting - November 14, 2011
The Office of the Town Clerk can be compared to a hub around which the wheel of local government revolves. The spokes of the wheel represent the various boards, departments and committees within the government to which the Town Clerk relates in a direct way. The rim of the wheel represents the many segments of State and Local Government from which many of the Town Clerk’s official duties and responsibilities stem.
The Town Clerk serves you as:
Chief Election Official
Oversees polling places, election officers, and the general conduct of all elections.
Directs preparation of ballots, polling places, voting equipment, voting lists, administers campaign finance laws, certifies nomination papers and initiative petitions, and usually serves on the local Board of Registrars.
Supervises voter registration and absentee balloting, and prepares, records and reports official election results to the Secretary of State of the Commonwealth.
Conducts the annual town census, prepares the street list of residents and furnishes the jury list to the Office of the Jury Commissioner.
Recording Officer
Records and certifies all official actions of the Town, including town meeting legislation and appropriations, Planning and Zoning Board Decisions, signs all notes for borrowing, and keeps the Town Seal.
Registrar of Vital Statistics
Registers all vital events occurring within the community and those events occurring elsewhere to local residents.
Records and preserves original birth, marriage, and death records providing the basis for the Commonwealth’s central vital registration system.
Public Records Officer
Administers the oath of office to all elected and appointed members of local committees and boards and ensures that all elected and appointed officials are informed in writing of the State’s Open Meeting and Conflict of Interest Laws. Posts meeting of all government bodies.
Provides access to public records in compliance with State Public Records Law and corresponding regulations.
Provides certified copies of vital records and conducts or assists with genealogical research for members of the public and is responsible for maintenance, disposition, and preservation of municipal archival records and materials.
Maintains records of adopted municipal codes, local bylaws, oaths of office, resignations and appointments, petitions, publications, budgets, meeting minutes, and financial statements.
Submits bylaws and zoning ordinances to Attorney General for approval.
Licensing Officer
Issues state licenses and permits: including marriage licenses and permits for raffles and bazaars. Issues local licenses, permits and certificates as mandated by statute or bylaw, which may include burial permits, business certificates, dog licenses, and fuel storage permits.
Public Information Officer
Responds to inquiries from the general public, frequently serving as facilitator with departments, providing knowledge and assistance in a fair and impartial manner to all.
Often considered the core of local government, the Town Clerk’s Office serves as the cnetral information point for local residents and citizens at large.
DOG LICENSE INFORMATION:
MALE/FEMALE: $20.00
NEUTERED/SPAYED : $15.00
All dogs must be licensed by May 31 of the current year. A $25.00 late fee for dogs unlicensed by May 31 will be charged and an additional $25.00 non-criminal disposition for dogs unlicensed by June 30th as well as the $20/$15 license for the current year. For more information see Animal Control.
MARRIAGE LICENSE
All people who marry in Massachusetts must have a marriage license issued in Massachusetts. An out-of-state license cannot be used. Both the bride and the groom must apply together in person for a marriage license. this requirement is applicable to both residents and non-residents of the Commonwealth. According to Massachusetts law, you must jointly file intentions to marry, and you may do so with the city or town clerk in any community in the state. If a person is in the military, intentions may be filed by either party, providing one is a Massachusetts resident. If a person is incarcerated in a county house of correction or a state correctional facility, intentions may be filed by either party. A marriage license, once obtained, is valid for 60 days from the date intentions are filed and may be used in
any Massachusetts city or town. It is not valid outside of the state. For more information contact the Secretary of the Commonwealth Citizen Information Service at www.magnet.state.ma.us/sec/cis
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