To the Editor:

As Newtown’s former town clerk and registrar of vital statistics of 20 years, I feel compelled to respond to Sara Frampton’s letter, “What Does The Town Clerk Do?” [Letter Hive, 10/16/09] Unless you have actually ever worked in the town clerk’s office, it would be difficult for anyone to fully understand or explain the duties of the office. Yes, the duties are written down and easy to read, but comprehending the duties is not so easy. Thus, I will try to briefly explain some of the major duties.

The simplest of terms would be “Secretary of the Town and its 27,000 residents,” preserving the integrity of and maintaining over 300 years of records. Every piece of property, every mortgage, every release of mortgage, every single document pertaining to land and its ownership is the responsibility of the town clerk. Every single birth, death, marriage, and burial/cremation in Newtown is the town clerk’s responsibility. And......300 years’ worth!!

Maintaining and preserving the Town Journals that serve as a diary of the town’s “happenings” over 300 years is another duty, as well as keeping the records of all town officials, town meetings, boards and commissions and their meetings. Election duties have changed since I retired in 2007, but absentee ballots are still the town clerk’s responsibility and there must be no breach of ethics. The integrity of each voter’s ballot must be strictly maintained. There are actually more than 500 state mandated duties of the town clerk in addition to local mandates.

I could go on and on, but I hope you get the picture. I do believe that a town clerk should be wise, compassionate, mature, and have excellent listening skills. Many of the town’s citizens find their way to the town clerk’s desk seeking guidance and advice. The job of town clerk is one that requires detail with little room for error, and, at all times, there must be no “politics” within the walls of that office. After working in the town clerk’s office for 25 years, I care very deeply about the townspeople and the future of the office. The incumbent, Debbie Aurelia, possesses the wisdom, the maturity and more importantly, the experience. I strongly urge you to vote for Debbie Aurelia.

Cynthia Simon

3589 NE 107th Street Road, Anthony, Fla.          October 18, 2009