Charter Change
Solves Nothing

"Granville's small and getting smaller" seems to be the rationale behind Granville's proposed charter. We don't have enough people in town willing and able to serve as Town Clerk. And yet in just this past year five different residents have expressed interest in the position. Several of them have credentials that should warrant serious consideration.

So what are the real issues that have created the current crisis? I heard three compelling problems presented at the hearing on Thursday, Dec. 14.

First, the salary is not commensurate to the skills required. Clearly, the pay cut that happened during the budgeting process for 2006 had a harmful effect on the pool of candidates at last town meeting. I urge the select board to increase that salary for 2007. I'm sure that you will see a corresponding increase in interest.

Second, the training period allowed for our most recent Town Clerk was only one-third to one-half the training period given to the previous Town Clerk. Small wonder that the transition was bumpy.

Third, we have no redundancy in our system. When a new Town Clerk experiences a problem, neither the select board, the auditors, nor the assistant town clerk understands the entire system well enough to help solve the problem efficiently. Unlike the select or school boards, there are no co-town clerks sitting in the office equipped with institutional memory.

These issues emerge as the true nature of our current troubles, and the new charter does not address any of them. It only widens the pool of people who can inherit them.

Finally (and this may sound a little facetious but I'm completely serious), I think we should be creating good jobs here in Granville for the people of Granville. If anyone can be our Town Clerk, it's just one more reason someone doesn't need to live here. That's a move in the wrong direction in my book.

Fix the position: make the salary attractive, the training adequate, and provide enough support—and someone might even move to town to run for it!

Granville voters, on Jan. 9 please get out and make your voice heard on this important issue.

Kate Stauss

Granville