This is the second in a series of stories that look at the various departments, boards and committees that make the town function, offering thumbnail sketches of their duties and responsibilities. This week: The Town Clerk.
One of the busiest offices in any town hall is that of the Town Clerk. It is often residents’ first point of contact when they need to conduct business with a municipality.
“I try to make it a priority to greet everyone with a smile and to help them in whatever way I can,” said Norfolk Town Clerk Deborah Nelson. “I am often the first face they see. My motto is, ‘If I can’t help you, I will find someone who can.’”
A town clerk’s duties are many and varied. Nelson has administrative and executive functions as both town clerk and registrar of vital statistics as dictated by the state’s General Statutes and town ordinances.
She records and indexes land records, generates daily/weekly/monthly reports and prepares and scans land records for the archives. She uses software to receive and calculate recording fees and conveyance taxes for deed transfers, survey maps, trade name certificates and other recorded instruments.
She also assists title searchers, attorneys, genealogists and the public in finding specialized information; records and indexes all vital statistics such as births, deaths, marriages and veterans’ discharge papers, and prepares monthly reports for the Department of Public Health.
The clerk, or her assistant, Trina Hamlin, prepare and record minutes of town meetings; receive files and minutes, agendas and legal notices from all boards and commissions, and help keep the Town website up to date.
When elections, primaries and referendums roll around, she assists in voter registration and in the preparation and issuance of absentee ballots. Once elections are over, she administers the oath of office to the successful candidates.
Some jobs are more fun than others. “They come to me for marriage licenses, dog licenses and sporting licenses, as well as for Tobey Pond and transfer station permits,” Nelson said. “People want to talk about their dogs or their weddings when they are getting their licenses. And it’s always exciting to [register] a new baby. It’s fun.”
The town clerk is also a notary and handles confidential correspondence.
Becoming a Certified Connecticut Town Clerk (which Nelson is) takes about two and a half years, a five-module classroom training program, at least two years of on-the-job municipal clerk experience and passing a final exam.
Nelson got her certification while serving as assistant to town clerk Linda Perkins, and succeeded Perkins when she had to resign due to illness. She was elected to the position in 2025.