CLEARLAKE, Calif. – Should the offices of Clearlake's city clerk and treasurer continue to be elected or be changed to appointed decisions?
The Clearlake City Council wants the city's voters to decide.
The council on Thursday evening directed City Manager Greg Folsom to draft a resolution and other necessary documents and bring them back for authorization either in March or April.
That will allow the city to include questions about how the two offices should be filled on the November ballot.
It was noted at the meeting that it was important to have the matters before voters this November, as neither of the offices are up for election this year.
The discussion begins at the 57:32 minute mark in the video above.
Folsom reported that both positions currently are elected, and neither require any qualification other than being a registered voter.
Melissa Swanson has served as the city's elected clerk since 2006. Although the city clerk's salary is only $300 per month, Swanson also is a city administrative employee, Folsom said.
Folsom said the city clerk's job is a critical, full-time position. The clerk prepares the agenda for the council meeting, must be knowledgeable about rules and regulations regarding public noticing and the Brown Act, and makes sure meetings are adequately recorded and minutes prepared.
He said the city would have major problems if, in the future, a city clerk was elected that wasn't adequately trained or couldn't fulfill the position's duties.
He cited issues in the cities of Pleasant Hill and Carson as examples of potential problems.
In Pleasant Hill, the clerk has another full-time job and hasn't prepared minutes for over a year, he said.
In Carson, the city clerk – formerly the city's mayor – had reportedly harassed employees and was banned from city hall in September amidst concerns that he could become violent, according to media reports. He was removed from office in a recall election held on Tuesday.
Folsom said there is a lot of potential for problems if the wrong kind of person gets into the job.
He cited numbers from the League of California Cities showing that, of the state's 482 cities, only 132 – or 27 percent – still have elected clerks.
The city of Lakeport's clerk position has long been a hired one. In January the Lakeport City Council voted to amend the municipal code in order to give the city manager the power to hire the city clerk, as Lake County News has reported.
In the case of the city of Clearlake's treasurer's job, it's technically been vacant since 2006, when longtime City Treasurer Elmer Maryatt retired.
Since then, city administrative staff – including Swanson – have taken turns fulfilling the job's duties.
Folsom said the city manager now acts in lieu of an elected person in that position.
While the need for the city treasurer, according to Folsom, is quite minimal, he said having an inadequately educated person in that position could be detrimental to the city.
The treasurer's job also has a $300 per month stipend, Folsom reported.
Councilwoman Joyce Overton said she has wanted to put the issues of the two offices and whether they should be elected or appointed before voters for a long time.
Councilman Bruno Sabatier said he believed the positions were created for the sake of democracy and the balance of power, and while he said he didn't mind putting the matters on the ballot, he felt they should be preserved as elected offices, not appointed.
Vice Mayor Gina Fortino Dickson wanted to clarify how the positions would be hired. Folsom said the city clerk could be hired either by the council or the city manager.
Noting that city staff wear multiple hats, Folsom said the director of finance would take over the treasurer's duties, or he would step in when necessary.
“That makes sense, absolutely, to me,” said Fortino Dickson.
During public comment, city resident Marie Weathers asked about how many hours a month the city treasurer works. Folsom said he didn't even know if it would be an hour a month.
Fortino Dickson asked about the cost of putting the positions on the ballot.
Swanson said the city didn't have a cost estimate at that point, however, she pointed out that there already will be a three council positions on the November ballot, and a total of as many as six city items on the ballot altogether. For all of those items, she estimated the cost could range between $12,000 to $15,000.
Fortino Dickson asked if the added items would increase the cost. Swanson said no, explaining that the clerk and treasurer jobs would constitute two separate questions on the ballot. She pointed out that if the positions become appointed, there would be future savings from not having to put them on the ballot.
The council reached consensus to have staff move forward with the process of placing the position question on the November ballot.
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Clearlake City Council want voters to decide on clerk, treasurer positions
- Elizabeth Larson
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