Pros:
- The board can appoint someone who has proper training
- The board can remove someone who is doing a poor job
Cons:
- It takes accountability away from the electors and makes the clerk accountable to the board
- Making the clerk an appointed position opens the door for non-residents of the town to fill that seat
- The clerk is also required to vote on filling vacancies that occur in the board of supervisors during a term (which happened twice in 2011). That means that a non resident town clerk would be one of only three votes to appoint a replacement board supervisor. Both Jim Mikla and Bob Klanderman were appointed in 2011.
- On average, appointed clerks make more money than elected clerks.
- The clerk runs the elections so it looks bad when the board appoints the clerk that runs their elections.
I think that the cons far out weigh the pros. The pros give greater flexibility to the board while taking that choice away from the people.
ReplyDeleteLet the town clerk campaign for the position and sell their qualifications and abilities to the electors rather than the board of supervisors.
Also, I really don't like the possiblity that a non-resident town clerk would be one of three votes to fill a vacancy on the board of supervisors, to vote for a person who will ultimately be one of the poeple who in turn appoints the clerk each term.