The City Clerk's Office plays a crucial role in ensuring the efficient and transparent functioning of the City's government. The City Clerk serves as the City historian, elections manager, and City Council support team all rolled into one. The Office's responsibilities include recording and preserving City Council actions; maintaining accurate and accessible records and keeping them safe and accessible to the public; administering elections; and providing information and support to the City Council, City staff and the public.
Many of the Clerk’s duties are prescribed by Federal, State, and local laws, either in general terms (e.g., the Clerk must have a system for managing records) or specific terms (e.g., the Clerk must respond to a public records request in a certain way and in a certain number of days).
A member of the public might interact with the City Clerk's office in order to:
- Learn what the City Council is discussing at its next meeting or read about decisions made a previous meeting
- Share an opinion or concern with the City Council (public comment)
- Request public records
- Review campaign documents or find out the results of an election
