Municipal clerk

The origins of the position of clerk are unclear. In ancient Greece there were secretaries for each polis who read official documents publicly and at the opening of a meeting read public curses.[4] The early keepers of the archives were often called remembrancers, and before writing came into use, their memory was public record. When the early colonists came to America, one of the first offices established was that of clerk.[5] The colony at Plymouth appointed a person to act as a recorder.

In New South Wales, for over a century, the chief administrative officer of a city or borough was also legally designated the town clerk. This continued until 1993, when the NSW Local Government Act 1993 was passed and the officer became called the 'general manager of the local council/shire'.

All Canadian local governments will have a position in their organization responsible for the duties of the clerk, working closely with other statutory positions, including the chief administrative officer and chief financial officer. Clerks are not elected in Canada, and are apolitical. This is an important measure, considering many Canadian clerks are tasked with the duty of administering local elections.

Provincial legislation lays out the key duties of the clerk, and can vary from province to province, but often includes the following:

• ensuring the accurate taking of council minutes/recording of the decisions of council;
• ensuring the public is provided with access to local government records;
• certifying copies of bylaws and resolutions of council;
• administering oaths and affidavits; and
• keeping of the corporate seal.

Many clerks also act as a government's Freedom of Information (FOI) head for the purposes of FOI requests.

In Ontario, the clerk issues marriage licences and burial permits, and registers deaths on behalf of the provincial government. They also are authorized to perform civil weddings.

Title of the clerk may vary from local government to local government. In British Columbia, the clerk is often referred to as the corporate officer of the municipal government, as established in that province's community charter legislation.

In New Zealand, for over a century, the chief administrative officer of a city or borough was also legally designated the town clerk. This continued until the 1970s, when the city and county administrative procedures were largely merged and the Local Government Act 1974 declared that every such person (along with his or her rural counterpart, the county clerk) should henceforth be styled the chief administrative officer.

The Local Government Act 2002 changed the title again, this time to chief executive.

In the United Kingdom, the town clerk is the senior administrative officer of the city, borough or town, usually the most senior salaried employee of the council. In most unitary authorities the town clerk has now been renamed the chief executive, although the original name is retained in most smaller towns. The town clerks of the larger county boroughs frequently received knighthoods, and the chief executives of large authorities sometimes still do. The equivalent officer in counties and districts was the clerk to the council (now also designated chief executive) and in (non-town) parishes is the parish clerk, usually part-time, but still a paid official, whose main responsibility is the administration and minuting of parish council meetings and parish council finance. The Town Clerk of London is an important executive position with a staff and significant budget.

On ceremonial occasions, some town clerks will wear a gown of black silk ottoman/grosgrain of the lay pattern with panel sleeves and a flap collar. The gown is trimmed with rows of braid and tassels. This gown is similar to the gown of undergraduate fellow and gentleman-commoners in the ancient universities of Oxford and Cambridge. The town clerk may also wear a wig similar to that of barristers. However, many town clerks will not wear ceremonial dress as the role has been modernised in many towns across the United Kingdom.[6][7]

The professional body for town clerks in the United Kingdom is the Society of Local Council Clerks, who represent over 5000 clerks across the country. The president of the SLCC is Linda Larter MBE along with chairman Michael King.

In the United States, the clerk often serves as the official keeper of the municipal records, and as such, is sometimes described as the "historian" of the community.[8] Sometimes the clerk's office includes presenting the agenda and minutes for the legislative and committee meetings. Official meetings of municipalities can become a serious chore as the activity in the town increases with a larger population. The task of assembling the agenda packets with supporting documents can take several days for a single meeting. It becomes more complicated due to the input and iterative modification by numerous departments and agencies, both within and external to the organization. Software applications that can easily assemble agendas, minutes, and even automatically transcribe the meetings are now becoming more common. Often, these agendas and meeting minutes are downloadable by interested citizens by accessing the organization's website.

Clerks may also be responsible for issuing licenses,[9] overseeing local elections,[10] maintaining financial records,[2] serving as registrar of vital statistics,[11] and increasingly, for assuring the transparency of the municipality's conduct of business.[8][12]

In Switzerland, the communal secretary, either alone or with subordinate clerks, performs all administrative work that does not require the powers of the elected municipal council.

• Recorder of deeds