What You Do
County and City Clerks, sometimes called a Recorder, run the show when it comes to facilitating elections. This includes helping candidates file and run for office, allocating resources to polling locations, deciding when polls close, how many polling locations are open, and where they’re located. They can also be in charge of disseminating important information ahead of the elections that educate voters about who or what they’re voting for. In nearly all US jurisdictions, clerks offices are essential for maintenance of public records and ensuring that constituents have open access to the government including documents. Depending on the region, these positions can be elected or appointed.
“We have to build a future that we want to see in a more reflective democracy, and that’s going to start with us.”
Gabriella Cazares-Kelly
County Recorder, Pima County, AZ
Responsibilities
The responsibilities of a clerk or recorder can range, but can include attending and recording city/town council meeting minutes, maintaining and supervising the maintenance of city/town accounts and financial records, maintaining or overseeing the maintenance of tax records, and producing constituent facing documents.
They are often instrumental in planning and facilitating elections, determining transparency around election information including filing deadlines, legal responsibilities, and compliance, conveying information for voters on candidates running, early voting deadlines, location of polling places, etc, controlling access to voting records for constituents in their county or city, and certifying election results.
Helpful Skills
Solid communication skills, computer skills, and attention to detail are essential skills for a city/town clerk. Experience with large databases, payroll and bookkeeping, and supervisory skills will be helpful.
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Salary and HoursDepending on the jurisdiction city/town councils meet every other week, or one time per month. You can view a sample council meeting agenda here. Often, members will serve in sub committees in addition to the council at large. In many cities and towns council members are reimbursed for travel, or they receive a salary for their service. Salaries on the low end are approximately $10,000 and the high end at $320,000. Some jurisdictions offer benefits like health care insurance and pensions. The staff supporting city/ town councils usually includes an attorney and at least one clerk and secretary. The president of the city council in larger jurisdictions may have their own Chief of Staff. Like their legislative counterparts, city/town councilors work hard, often spending their time away from the council chamber in the community meeting with or serving constituents.
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Sample CampaignA campaign for city council in Nebraska will look vastly different than a campaign in New York. The cost of campaigns is directly proportional to the size of the voting population: more people equals more money, smaller population equals more canvassing and person to person communication. Targeted communication, an essential component of a winning campaign, requires money for postage and other forms of paid media. Candidates don’t need millions – increasingly cities and towns are building public funding mechanisms for local campaigns – but every candidate will need the resources to communicate with the voters that can get them elected. Starting as early as 18 months out from an election will be super helpful in affording the time a candidate needs to build a winning campaign structure. Most local races are run and won with part time campaigns, and volunteer staff.
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Requirements to RunTypical requirements include: Be 18 years of age at the start of the term. Be a resident of the district that the individual is running to represent. Be a US citizen. Be free of felony convictions. Mentally capable to serve (not to have been determined mentally incapacitated by a court of law). Legal requirements to seek and serve on a city/town council vary by jurisdiction. Most places require that the candidate live in the district they seek to serve, either before the election or shortly after. Candidates must almost universally be registered to vote in the district. There are no particular education requirements.