There are three other major elected officers defined by the Charter in Waterford that will be on the ballot in November: Town Clerk; Tax Collector; and Town Treasurer. The Town Clerk is a full time position with a current annual salary of $76,998.97. The Tax Collector is a full time position with an annual salary of $72,222.76. The Town Treasurer is a part time position with an annual salary of $24,239.37. As noted in previous columns, the State Statutes are the primary governing rules for these officers during their four year terms.
Charter
Town Clerk is elected for four year term with the powers and duties as specified in Chapters 92 and 93 of state statutes. As noted in the column about the Representative Town Meeting (RTM), the town clerk is an ex officio member of the RTM and acts as the clerk of the RTM. The town clerk also drafts the warning of the meeting and sees that it is published in a local newspaper and is distributed to all members of the RTM.
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Town Tax Collector is elected for four year term with powers and duties as specified Chapter 204 Title 12 of state statutes. The tax collector may collect other revenues as authorized by ordinances.
Town Treasurer is elected for four year term (changed from a two year term by November 2010 Charter Revision) with powers and duties as specified in Chapter 94 of state statutes.
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Ordinances
The Town Clerk will be paid a salary rather than being paid by fees and compensation as outlined in the state statutes. Effective in January 1978 all fees collected by the town clerk would be deposited in the general fund and the town clerk will submit a budget for the expenses incurred by the department.
Except for listing the tax collector as an elected official that reports to the First Selectman, the ordinances are silent regarding the tax collector.
The Town Treasurer receives and pays out all town monies as directed by competent authority in accordance with state statutes. The treasurer may invest town funds within the limits of the state statutes, keep the records required by law and Board of Finance (BOF) policy and state statutes. Town treasurer records are to be integrated into finance department records and subject to internal controls and audits. The treasurer should conduct official business during normal working hours in the finance department offices. (This ordinance requirement is a result of a town treasurer who did not keep normal hours being convicted of larceny some years ago).
State Statutes
Town Clerk – Whether appointed or elected, the state statutes are very specific regarding the duties and responsibilities of the Town Clerk. A Town Clerk and an Assistant Town Clerk must be certified by the State appointed Town Clerk certification committee. This certification program is administered by the Office of the Secretary of the State. The Town Clerk is ultimately responsible for any and all town records, their accessibility, and their safe keeping in a vault. The Town Clerk is also responsible for the index of all the town records. Town records include all deeds, liens, meeting agendas and minutes, the date and time of receipt of material and when it is checked out and then returned to the storage facility. The Town Clerk is answerable to the State Public Records Administrator for the proper operation of the Town Clerk’s Office and availability and safety of official records. The Town Clerk is also required to have an electronic index of all town records. The Town Clerk is also the Registrar of Vital Statistics for the town and the keeper of the Town Seal. A Town Clerk may be removed for cause after an investigation by the States Attorney, and a hearing before a Superior Court judge. This is just touches the surface of the record details outlined in the state statutes regarding the Town Clerk.
Tax Collector – Chapter 204 Title 12 outlines the specific duties of the tax collector to collect taxes and interest on uncollected taxes, the reports required to be made to the state Office of Policy and Management (OPM) and the local Board of Finance (BOF), and the many categories of exemptions from some or part of the property tax bill. Like the Town Clerk, there is a training and certification program for tax collectors conducted by OPM. There is insufficient room in this column to outline all of the tax exemptions and abatements available in Connecticut.
Town Treasurer – The Town Treasurer receives all money for the Town and is responsible for paying all of the town’s expenses when presented with an authorized payment order from the Board of Selectmen (BOS). The Treasurer must also keep an auditable record of all income and expenses that is available for viewing by any town taxpayer. The Town Treasurer’s authority to invest Town funds is limited by statute. No more than 31% of funds may be invested in equity securities (stocks).not less than fifty percent of funds shall be invested in stocks or bonds that are guaranteed by U. S. Federal Government or issued by the U. S. Government. No more than seventy five percent of town funds may be invested with the same financial institution. State statutes have other limitations on the type of investments and places of deposit by the Town Treasurer that are very technical. They can be summarized as limitations that prevent a town form losing significant funds from bad investments. They also prevent towns from making large sums from the “good” investment by limiting the risk of the investments possible for a town. The Treasurer is required to report to the town budget making authority annually the status of town investments. A Town Treasurer may be removed for cause after an investigation by the States Attorney, and a hearing before a Superior Court judge.
Summary
The town elected officials tasks are really defined by state statute rather than the charter or ordinances. In some towns all of these positions are appointed rather than elected because of the special qualifications required to hold any of them. It also means in Waterford, the two political parties have some difficulty finding qualified candidates for the elected positions.
There are three other major elected officers defined by the Charter in Waterford that will be on the ballot in November: Town Clerk; Tax Collector; and Town Treasurer. The Town Clerk is a full time position with a current annual salary of $76,998.97. The Tax Collector is a full time position with an annual salary of $72,222.76. The Town Treasurer is a part time position with an annual salary of $24,239.37. As noted in previous columns, the State Statutes are the primary governing rules for these officers during their four year terms.
Charter
Town Clerk is elected for four year term with the powers and duties as specified in Chapters 92 and 93 of state statutes. As noted in the column about the Representative Town Meeting (RTM), the town clerk is an ex officio member of the RTM and acts as the clerk of the RTM. The town clerk also drafts the warning of the meeting and sees that it is published in a local newspaper and is distributed to all members of the RTM.
Town Tax Collector is elected for four year term with powers and duties as specified Chapter 204 Title 12 of state statutes. The tax collector may collect other revenues as authorized by ordinances.
Town Treasurer is elected for four year term (changed from a two year term by November 2010 Charter Revision) with powers and duties as specified in Chapter 94 of state statutes.
Ordinances
The Town Clerk will be paid a salary rather than being paid by fees and compensation as outlined in the state statutes. Effective in January 1978 all fees collected by the town clerk would be deposited in the general fund and the town clerk will submit a budget for the expenses incurred by the department.
Except for listing the tax collector as an elected official that reports to the First Selectman, the ordinances are silent regarding the tax collector.
The Town Treasurer receives and pays out all town monies as directed by competent authority in accordance with state statutes. The treasurer may invest town funds within the limits of the state statutes, keep the records required by law and Board of Finance (BOF) policy and state statutes. Town treasurer records are to be integrated into finance department records and subject to internal controls and audits. The treasurer should conduct official business during normal working hours in the finance department offices. (This ordinance requirement is a result of a town treasurer who did not keep normal hours being convicted of larceny some years ago).
State Statutes
Town Clerk – Whether appointed or elected, the state statutes are very specific regarding the duties and responsibilities of the Town Clerk. A Town Clerk and an Assistant Town Clerk must be certified by the State appointed Town Clerk certification committee. This certification program is administered by the Office of the Secretary of the State. The Town Clerk is ultimately responsible for any and all town records, their accessibility, and their safe keeping in a vault. The Town Clerk is also responsible for the index of all the town records. Town records include all deeds, liens, meeting agendas and minutes, the date and time of receipt of material and when it is checked out and then returned to the storage facility. The Town Clerk is answerable to the State Public Records Administrator for the proper operation of the Town Clerk’s Office and availability and safety of official records. The Town Clerk is also required to have an electronic index of all town records. The Town Clerk is also the Registrar of Vital Statistics for the town and the keeper of the Town Seal. A Town Clerk may be removed for cause after an investigation by the States Attorney, and a hearing before a Superior Court judge. This is just touches the surface of the record details outlined in the state statutes regarding the Town Clerk.
Tax Collector – Chapter 204 Title 12 outlines the specific duties of the tax collector to collect taxes and interest on uncollected taxes, the reports required to be made to the state Office of Policy and Management (OPM) and the local Board of Finance (BOF), and the many categories of exemptions from some or part of the property tax bill. Like the Town Clerk, there is a training and certification program for tax collectors conducted by OPM. There is insufficient room in this column to outline all of the tax exemptions and abatements available in Connecticut.
Town Treasurer – The Town Treasurer receives all money for the Town and is responsible for paying all of the town’s expenses when presented with an authorized payment order from the Board of Selectmen (BOS). The Treasurer must also keep an auditable record of all income and expenses that is available for viewing by any town taxpayer. The Town Treasurer’s authority to invest Town funds is limited by statute. No more than 31% of funds may be invested in equity securities (stocks).not less than fifty percent of funds shall be invested in stocks or bonds that are guaranteed by U. S. Federal Government or issued by the U. S. Government. No more than seventy five percent of town funds may be invested with the same financial institution. State statutes have other limitations on the type of investments and places of deposit by the Town Treasurer that are very technical. They can be summarized as limitations that prevent a town form losing significant funds from bad investments. They also prevent towns from making large sums from the “good” investment by limiting the risk of the investments possible for a town. The Treasurer is required to report to the town budget making authority annually the status of town investments. A Town Treasurer may be removed for cause after an investigation by the States Attorney, and a hearing before a Superior Court judge.
Summary
The town elected officials tasks are really defined by state statute rather than the charter or ordinances. In some towns all of these positions are appointed rather than elected because of the special qualifications required to hold any of them. It also means in Waterford, the two political parties have some difficulty finding qualified candidates for the elected positions.
