Newberry commission adds CRA duties, sets minimum qualifications for city clerk

The City of Newberry Commission voted May 5 to add clerking for the Community Redevelopment Agency to the city clerk job description, set a minimum qualification of a high school diploma and five years of administrative experience, and to advertise the position internally for one week beginning Monday, officials said.

City Clerk Judy told commissioners the role currently covers "the functions of the city clerk is, the city commission meetings, clerk for the board of adjustment meetings and custodian of municipal records, administrator of public records requests, and supervisor of municipal elections." She said she plans to retire in September and asked the commission for direction on the job description and hiring process.

The vote came after a sustained discussion about which boards the clerk should formally serve, required qualifications and certifications, salary bands, and the timing and scope of recruitment. Commissioner Farnsworth said, "I am totally against adding anything to that position," citing workload concerns around elections and public records seasons. Commissioner Clark added, "I don't wanna add anything personally that I don't know more about," and several commissioners stressed that planning and zoning minutes are currently handled by planning staff.

Staff and commissioners debated certification expectations. Judy detailed training paths used by municipal clerks, explaining the Certified Municipal Clerk (CMC) program typically takes multiple years of coursework and experience and that the Master Municipal Clerk (MMC) is an advanced credential. The city manager said the Florida League of Cities salary examples ranged roughly from $71,000 to $107,000 for positions with higher certification, and that pay and qualifications should be set together.

Janine Miernack, records and administrative coordinator in the city clerk's office, clarified office structure and staffing: "I am the records and administrative coordinator in the city clerk's office," and she noted there is currently no assistant city clerk position in Newberry's charter. She also said the CRA has separate staff who have taken minutes at recent CRA meetings, a factor commissioners discussed when deciding whether to add CRA duties to the clerk's advertised responsibilities.

After discussion the commission gave specific direction: the clerk's office will prepare a revised job description reflecting the addition of CRA clerking duties; Human Resources will post the position internally for one week; the clerk's office will screen applications and produce a ranked list for interviews; and the mayor and city manager are expected to interview finalists before finalists are presented to the commission. Commissioners also approved using milestone-based "underfill" hiring when appropriate, requiring new hires to reach specified training or certification milestones within an agreed timeline.

A motion to adopt the changesincluding adding CRA clerking duties, setting minimum qualifications at a high school diploma plus five years of administrative experience, and posting internally for one weekpassed unanimously. The commission directed staff to begin the internal posting as early as the upcoming Monday and return with applicant rankings and finalists for commission consideration.

Next steps: the clerk's office will produce the revised job description and application materials; HR will collect and forward applications; the clerk's office will perform initial screening and interviews and deliver a recommended short list to the mayor and city manager, who will interview finalists before the commission takes final action. Judy's planned retirement is in September, and commissioners discussed transitional staffing and onboarding depending on the successful candidate's experience.