Town Clerk to Seek Tenure From Voters

Town Clerk Bob Cutler doesn’t just want to remain the clerk, he wants the position for life.

On Tuesday, Cutler shared plans with the selectmen to obtain tenure through a ballot question in May’s town election.

If voted approve tenure for Cutler, he would no longer be obligated to run for reelection until the age of 70. Once Cutler retires, the position returns to the ballot every three years.

“The point is tenure. Teachers, firefighter, police get tenure basically by their job position. I’m just looking for the same treatment,” Culter said.

In Massachusetts, town clerks are allowed to petition for tenure if they have held the position for five years and obtain signatures from five percent of the town’s voters. Cutler says he’s obtained 765 signatures, well over the 585 needed.

Some selectmen questioned Cutler at the apparent suddenness of his effort. Selectman John Gray said he wasn’t made aware Cutler’s actions until he saw the petition on Saturday and Ginny Coppola said she was unfamiliar with the effort until a resident asked her about it.

“It was not meant to be secretive, it was about getting the signatures. I didn’t say anything because I didn’t want to be embarrassed if I didn’t get the signatures,” Cutler said.

He added that he is looking for security and to avoid potential turnover, telling the board that 30-40 percent of clerks in the state have experienced turnover over the past 10 years.

“You get a situation where you get a lot of young moms or maybe the sitting town clerk isn’t as popular and it becomes a popularity contest. I’m looking for a little security for a position that needs security. You can’t have constant turnover every two or three years,” he said.

Assistant Town Manager Mary-Ann Bernard said Westwood had two town clerks with tenure when she worked for the town. She said the job security took away the uncomfortable feeling of running an election while on the ballot.

Voters will have their say on the matter on May 4.