History of Town Clerk

Over the years municipal clerks have become the hub of government, the direct link between the inhabitants of their community and their government. The clerk is the historian of the community, for the entire recorded history of the town and its people is in his or her care.

The eminent political scientist, Professor William Bennett Munro, writing in one of the first textbooks on municipal administration (1934), stated:

"No other office in municipal service has so many contacts. It serves the mayor, the city council, the city manager (when there is one), and all administrative departments without exception. All of them call upon it, almost daily, for some service or information. Its work is not spectacular, but it demands versatility, alertness, accuracy, and no end of patience. The public does not realize how many loose ends of city administration this office pulls together."

The Town of Guernsey Clerk & Deputy Clerk are esteemed members of the International Institute of Municipal Clerks (IIMC). This professional organization boasts over 10,000 members, and is comprised of City and Town Clerks and Deputy City Clerks from the United States, Canada, and other countries. IIMC provides all City and Town Clerks and their assistants with a variety of services and activities to assist them with the duties and responsibilities of their office. The official Mission and Purpose of the organization, as indicated in Article III of the Constitution of the International Institute of Municipal Clerks, is to prepare its membership to meet the challenge of the diverse roles of the Municipal Clerk by providing services and continuing professional development opportunities to benefit members and the governments they serve.

Our present Town Clerk is in the process of achieving Certified Municipal Clerk (CMC) status, and we look foward to our Deputy City Clerk joining the program soon. The IIMC Certification Program is a nationally acclaimed award which has advanced the careers of countless clerks. The first Certified Municipal Clerk Program was initiated in 1969 by the membership of IIMC to recognize those Municipal Clerks who had achieved basic levels of professional competency. The CMC award is granted after an applicant has met specific requirements in education, experience and professional participation. The IIMC's central education mission is to provide and facilitate Municipal Clerk learning opportunities directed toward these ends and to the public good. For more information of IIMC visit www.iimc.com.