Greenwich's Town Clerk Reflects On 30 Years Of Service

GREENWICH, CT — Just over 30 years ago at the urging of then-First Selectman John Margenot and Selectman Cindy Rubicam, Carmella Budkins ran for the position of town clerk as Mike Harris was retiring from the job.

Budkins, a Greenwich native, had been volunteering in town for a number of years, namely on the PTA, Board of Health and for the Republican Town Committee.

She decided to go for it, and the rest is history.

"I decided why not? It was one of the best things I ever did," Budkins said.

Fast forward all these years later, and Budkins will retire at the end of her term this year. She announced her plans to step aside late last month.

"I just decided that I'd like to spend more time with my family and my husband. Thirty years is a long time. It was a very hard decision to make because I enjoyed the job, I loved the people, the staff is great, and all the relationships I've made," Budkins said. "I was going back and forth and sat down with my family, and I just felt in my heart that this was the right time and the right decision."

Budkins has become an institution at Town Hall — a friendly face who is always willing to help. First Selectman Fred Camillo praised Budkins for her service to the town.

"For 30 years, Carmella has brought pride, passion, and professionalism to her job as Town Clerk for Greenwich. Her energy and enthusiasm for her job was evident to all who entered her office," Camillo said. "While I am sad to think that she is retiring from office, I wish her the best of health and happiness in retirement and look forward to seeing my friend around town."

The town clerk manages all of the town’s land and vital records, is the secretary for the Representative Town Meeting, and is the absentee elections clerk for the town. Some of the responsibilities include the recording, indexing, and certifying of all land and vital records, and the issuance of burial permits, dog licenses, marriage licenses, and shellfish permits. Birth, death, and marriage records must be maintained, as well as town campaign finance and all election records.

Budkins of course can’t accomplish everything by herself. She credited her staff for working together to conduct business day-in and day-out.

"We’ve had a lot of teamwork," she said. "The majority of my staff has been with me for over 20 years now. We have a very good working machine in the Town Clerk's office."

Budkins said her favorite part of the job was dealing with the people at Town Hall.

"You never know who's going to come into your office. You get to have relationships. There are people who come in every few months to get things notarized and you get very familiar with them, they tell you about their family. The attorneys in town have been wonderful, too. I have a very good relationship with the legal community in town," she said.

The biggest change in the job over her 30 years of service has been technology. The town is almost finished with digitizing records online that go back to 1936, so residents don't even have to leave the comfort of their home or office to do a records search.

When Budkins first came into office, everything was written and recorded by hand.

"Now everything gets indexed the same day and it's all online. It's much easier," Budkins said.

Budkins hopes to travel in retirement in addition to spending more time with her family. She also wants to remain involved as a volunteer in town and keep busy.

There could be another Budkins in the Town Clerk's office, however, as Carmella's daughter, Jackie, announced plans to run for office.

"I wish her luck. I wish anyone luck who is running for the position. Jackie decided that on her own at the encouragement of a lot of people and I hope she does well," Carmella said.

Current Board of Estimate and Taxation acting-Chair Karen Fassuliotis is seeking the position, too, as is current Registrar of Voters Fred DeCaro. Molly Saleeby is a Democratic candidate for the job.

Greenwich RTC Chair Dan Quigley said Carmella has "set the bar" for any town clerk going forward.

"For over 30 years Carmella Budkins has been an institution in our community and an ambassador for the town of Greenwich, serving as our town clerk. Always doing her job with a smile and a positive attitude, Carm embodied what it means to be a public servant. She was not only beloved by the many residents whom she helped over the years, but also by her staff and co-workers who she always treated as part of her family," Quigley said. "Carm has set the bar for how to run the Town Clerk's Office. It will be our challenge to find a candidate that can carry on her legacy and build on it as well."

Asked if she had any advice for her successor, Carmella Budkins kept it short and sweet.

"Have a lot of patience and listen to the people," she said. "I believe anyone who came in here with a problem always left with a smile."