By Charlene Lovett
By Charlene Lovett
At our last city council meeting on Dec. 9, Councilor Abigail Kier announced her resignation, effective Jan. 3, 2021. It was a bit of a surprise, but a decision she had to make as her husband recently accepted a position in Rockville, Maryland. As a result of her resignation, the council must now turn its attention to filling this vacancy before the deadline. According to our Charter, a council vacancy shall be filled at or before the second regularly scheduled council meeting. In this case, that deadline is Jan. 27.
The individual selected for the seat will serve out the remainder of Councilor Kier’s term which expires on Dec. 31, 2021. Recently, the city published the vacancy notice and guidelines for applying. Since Councilor Kier served as a councilor-at-large, individuals who are, at the time of application, registered voters from any of the three wards may apply. However, in accordance with state law, there are circumstances that would prohibit someone from serving on the city council. An individual cannot serve as a council member while holding the position of treasurer, moderator, trustee of trust funds, tax collector, auditor, supervisor of the checklist or who is a city employee. Additionally, no person may be a candidate for or hold public office who has been convicted of bribery or corruption in obtaining an election, or who has been sentenced for a felony until the sentence is discharged.
Eligible individuals are invited to submit their applications to the City Manager’s Office at 58 Opera House Square, Claremont, NH 03743 no later than 5 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 4, 2021. An application packet should include a completed application form used to serve on boards, committees and commissions, as well as a resume and letter of interest.
All application packets received by the deadline will then be forward to the council for review. The council will then hold interviews on Wednesday, Jan. 13, at 5:30 p.m. Those interviews will be conducted via Zoom. However, if an applicant prefers to go to the Claremont City Council Chambers for the interview, accommodations will be made for the applicant.
Once the interviews are completed, the council will vote that evening. The applicant with the greatest number of votes will then be sworn in and take his/her seat at that evening’s council meeting. If for any reason the application/interview process needs to be extended, the council will still have time before the Jan. 27 deadline to fill the seat.
It is my hope that we will have many individuals who are interested in serving on the Claremont City Council. In my experience, public service is very rewarding, but it does require a lot of time and energy. The council, on average, meets twice a month. In addition, members are asked to serve on committees and attend community events. If you are interested in serving the city of Claremont, please consider submitting your application before 5 p.m. on Jan. 4, 2021. For additional information, please contact the City Manager’s Office at (603) 542-7002.
Charlene Lovett is the mayor of Claremont and a 22-year Army veteran. She welcomes your feedback. Please email questions, comments or concerns to her at [email protected].
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