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Woodstock board appoints Rebecca Brooks as acting town clerk after contested discussion
Summary
After extended debate about training and upcoming audits, the Woodstock Town Board approved a resolution appointing Rebecca Brooks as acting town clerk and assigning related clerk duties; the decision drew both support for continuity and concern about the choice and timing.
The Woodstock Town Board voted by voice to appoint Rebecca Brooks as acting town clerk and to assign her statutory duties, including registrar of vital statistics, records management officer and tax collector.
Clerk read the resolution detailing the appointment and related administrative reassignments; the text notes Rebecca Brooks won the Democratic primary on June 23, 2026, and is running unopposed in the November 2026 election. Board discussion was candid: one council member said placing the apparent successor into the office before audits and grants arrive would allow time for training and smoother transitions, arguing "this is the person that's going to be dealing with the audit firms" (Lawmaker). Other members described the choice as "uncomfortable" but concluded the administrative benefits outweighed the concerns.
The board approved the resolution by a unanimous voice vote; the roll-call tally was not recorded in the transcript. The resolution as read included an effective date (transcript: "08/18/2022") that conflicts with other dates in the same text referencing 2026; the board discussion and surrounding language indicate the intended effective date is in 2026. The board also reaffirmed deputy clerk appointments and compensation rates in the same motion.
The appointment will place the incoming clerk in office ahead of planned audits and several grant-funded projects the town expects to pursue; board members said that hands-on experience before grant administration begins was central to their vote. No further formal action on the clerk role was scheduled at the meeting.
