Town Meeting vote to change Town Clerk job to appointed declared invalid

Remember the time when fall Town Meeting voted in favor of making the Town Clerk’s position appointed rather than elected? And all that was needed to change the town charter was a ballot vote to confirm the wishes of the town?

Oops.

What went unsaid, unwritten, and unratified back on that October Monday was this: a charter change requires a two-thirds majority vote at Town Meeting. And that did not happen.

Town Administrator Evan Brassard said Town Moderator Dawn Anderson did take a hand count on the vote, which proved the vote fell short of two-thirds.

What comes next? Possibly a special Town Meeting.

Grafton has elected its town clerk since its inception but, in recent years, the job has become more complex. requiring certifications and knowledge of multiple laws. It is also the only elected office inside the Municipal Center.

Town Clerk Kandy Lavallee needs to seek re-election in May 2022 if she wants to retain her job. As it now stands, if the town opts for a special Town Meeting, that bid for another three years of employment will be alongside a ballot question asking that Lavallee never have to face re-election again.

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