After a public meeting held specifically to discuss the possibility of moving away from electing Stafford’s Town Clerk and Tax Collector positions, the Board of Selectmen (BOS) put the issue on the agenda for the March 5, 2025, meeting. This time, though, it was more than just a discussion. First Selectman Bill Morrison and Selectman Rick Hartenstein voted to pursue drafting an ordinance to enact the change.
Once the ordinance is drafted, it will be sent to the town’s attorney for review and then to a Town Meeting for a vote. At the informational meeting, we learned that the current terms of the Town Clerk and the Tax Collector will have to run out before the change can be fully enacted. While the sentiment at that meeting was overwhelmingly in support of this change, the much smaller audience expressed a different feeling at Wednesday's BOS meeting.
A man who did not identify himself reiterated his sentiments from last week’s public meeting, saying he favored extending the terms of the two positions. He felt there would be a lack of oversight because the person in the first selectman position changes regularly. Henry Brooks then agreed with him. He also said he would prefer a Town Clerk who lives in town, referencing that a direct hire would not need to be a town resident to work here.
At the informational meeting, Morrison told the audience that these positions currently have no oversight. While Stafford is lucky to have conscientious and professional people like Karen Troiano and Stephanie Irving in these positions, it’s within the realm of possibility that someone could be elected without holding the proper certifications and never show up. Elected officials answer only to the people and can only be removed from office at election time.
On Wednesday, Laura Lybarger, who was also in the audience, said she did not understand the reason for the objections to appointing these positions. She pointed to other department heads who report to the first selectman and can be fired if they do not do their job.
In the absence of Kurt Vail, whose resignation letter was accepted later in the meeting, Morrison and Hartenstein voted to approve the motion.