Natick’s Town Administrator formally informed the Select Board on Friday, April 12 heading into school vacation week that Town Clerk Lynn P. Kelly is no longer in that job. In a memo to the Board, referring to “recent staffing changes in the Town Clerk’s office,” it’s not specified whether Kelly resigned or was let go.
The Board had approved Kelly for the position in late September, and she was introduced to the public at Fall Annual Town Meeting in October.
Kelly succeeded Diane Packer, who was first elected town clerk in 2010 and retired in the fall. Kelly was appointed, rather than elected as clerk: the town voted last spring to switch the office from an elected to appointed one after Town Meeting had approved such a change the year before. About two-thirds of voters said “yes” to making this change to how the town chose its clerk.
Now Packer has rejoined the town administration as interim town clerk while recruitment for a permanent one advances (to be followed by recruitment of an assistant clerk).
Lynn KellyKelly’s office had a rough spring election. The Associate Planner Position was left off the spring ballot, and now the town is scheduling a special election this fall to rectify the oversight.
On top of that, late arriving mail-in ballots for Natick local election frustrated voters and candidates, and got the attention of the Office of the Secretary of the Commonwealth, which has been investigating. Election results were made available to the public much later than usual as well, as the clerk’s office worked into the wee hours. In general, election-related communications was a struggle.
Kelly’s previous experience included serving as the town of Harvard’s town clerk and as assistant town clerk in Hopkinton and Rutland, Mass. Her last public appearance for Natick took place at the March 27 Select Board meeting, where she swore in those newly elected to town positions.
“During this interim period, while recruitment occurs for a new Town Clerk, Town Administration is working in conjunction with the Interim Town Clerk and the Clerk’s office team to prepare for this offboarding of knowledge, as well as identify and allocate the necessary resources to support current and upcoming needs of the department (i.e. daily operations, Spring Annual Town Meeting), and prepare for the upcoming elections this fall – Special Town Election, State Primary Election in September, and the Presidential Election in November,” Town Administrator Jamie Errickson wrote in his memo to the Select Board titled “Update Regarding Town Clerk’s Position.”
Errickson added that a review of the past two elections from March is being conducted to improve things for the fall elections.
“This includes reviewing the mail-in ballot logistics, recruitment and training for all who wish to volunteer and support the elections, as well as enhancing voter engagement to ensure robust voter turnout,” Errickson wrote.
