A Town Clerk is a ...
Notary Public - The Town Clerk offers a notary service at no charge. A notary witnesses and authenticates documents and performs certain other acts of verifying papers. (Please remember: the notary MUST witness the signing of the document).
Public Relations Officer - The Clerk's Office is considered the center of local government, an information source and gateway for the community to the offices of the Town and other governmental agencies and services.
Webmaster - In Galen the Clerk is responsible for the creation and maintenance of the Town's Website
Recording Secretary - Authors minute books, the only official record of the activities of Town government. The resulting volumes are retained permanently for legal and historic purposes.
Records Management Officer - Custodian of all Town records, responsible for active files, storage and disposition of inactive records, and the careful maintenance of archival material.
Administrator of the Freedom of Information Law, which guarantees your right to know the workings of government.
Filing Officer - Maintains records of adopted Town Ordinances and Local Laws, Town Oaths of Office, resignations, petitions proof of publications, annual budgets, assessment rolls, fiscal reports, notices of lien, subpoena and court actions, bond/note registers, zoning ordinances and maps. Maintains public signboard, advertises and receives bids for purchase of Town materials, files burial permits from cemeteries located within the Town.
Certificate of Residence - for attending community college, proof of residency required, no fee charged.
Licensing Officer - Issues State licenses/permits, including marriage, dog, conservation (hunting and fishing), games of chance, bingo and handicapped parking. - Issues Town licenses/permits mandated by Local Law
Marriage Officer - The authority to solemnize a marriage which marriage shall be valid in accordance with other provisions of law.
Election Coordinator - In accordance with Federal and State regulations, the Town Clerk becomes the coordinator for Primary and General Elections, advising the State of vacancies for elections, overseeing polling places and equipment, election inspectors and filing of boundaries for election districts. · In addition the Town Clerk files official notices of polling places, oversees special Town elections, permissive or mandatory referendums and Town acquisition of property. The Office of the Town Clerk serves as the source for voter registration forms and absentee ballot applications.
Cash Control Officer - Is responsible for numerous duties relating to billing, and the collection and disbursement of funds. All incoming cash is recorded and disbursed to State, County and local fiscal officers. The Town Clerk also contributes to Town and departmental budget preparation, management of petty cash, general purchasing and assisting with State and internal audits.
Registrar of Vital Statistics - Keeper of all birth and death records within a community, issuing birth and death certificates, burial permits, as well as conducting genealogical searches.
Secretary to the Town Board - Involving various secretarial duties as well as correspondence
Tax Collector - In Galen, as well as in many other Towns, the Town Clerk is also the Tax Collector.
