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Candidate Janet emphasizes records, efficiency in Gardner City clerk interview
Summary
Gardner City's special search committee interviewed Janet, a candidate for city clerk, who highlighted her two-plus years in the clerk's office, process changes to save staff time during elections and plans to introduce automation and tracking to improve records management.
Janet, the candidate for Gardner City clerk, told the special search committee she has worked in the clerk's office for about two and a half years and would prioritize automation, clearer tracking systems and staff training to keep meeting minutes, ordinances and election records accurate and on time.
The committee, made up of Council President George Tyrros and council members including Judy Mack and Lindsey Kazinsquez, called the interview as part of a search process that will produce a recommendation to the full city council; the council will later vote to fill the vacancy. The clerk's duties the committee reviewed include serving as the official keeper of city records, acting as the chief election official and serving as clerk to the council, responsibilities the committee said require close attention to open-meeting and public-records laws.
Janet said she is 25 and has lived in Gardner for about 22 to 23 years. Describing her approach to organization, she said, “automation, having things almost like automatically come up ... reminders set ... solid tracking and numbering systems.” She said she has used a shared spreadsheet for tracking but would add calendar-driven reminders and tighter numbering to reduce delays in producing minutes and legal records.
On elections administration, Janet described a procedural change she implemented for early voting and mail ballots that cut staff time. Previously the office made multiple paper copies for applications spanning several elections; she said she consolidated files by election and used the voter system to move applications between files, which she said saved “per election days of time.”
Asked about managing competing priorities and legal compliance, Janet said she prioritizes tasks by urgency, delegates when needed and would consult the city solicitor for questions on open-meetings or public-records law. She described a 2024'25 customer-service incident after a new dog-licensing database launched, in which she helped an upset resident calm down and resolve a renewal notice issue.
On staffing, Janet asked whether the assistant clerk position that has been posted would be filled before or after hiring a new clerk. Council President George Tyrros replied that the assistant position "exists in our non-UN personnel ordinance" and is "council confirmed," and that it is within the clerk's ability to request the hire and present it to council for appointment. He added that the council had considered hiring the department head before hiring a subordinate and that the process was being managed with "diligence and purpose."
The committee allotted 45 minutes for the interview. RHR, the recruiter handling the search logistics, will be in contact about next steps and the committee will forward a recommendation to the full city council, which will schedule the formal vote to fill the clerk vacancy.
