Two vie for town clerk seat in Kendall

Two vie for town clerk seat in Kendall

Town of Kendall Clerk Amy Richardson, who has held the seat since her appointment in March, is challenged by Gay Smith for the town clerk seat in the November election.

Amy Richardson said she loved the deputy position. "When the chance came around to become the clerk, I figured I was familiar with the position because I'd been the interim clerk and I really enjoyed the work," she said. She served as deputy clerk since 2005, prior to her appointment. She is running on the Republican line.

The interaction with the public is one of the things that Richardson said she likes the most. "I feel I really have a handle on the pulse of the community because I have so much interaction with them and because I have been here, in the office, since 2005," she said.

During her tenure, she has completed many hours of formal and on-the-job training. "Having that training behind me is a huge advantage in the day to day operations of the office," she said.

Richardson said the position of town clerk needs a person who can get along with a wide variety of people and that you have to know how to prioritize. "There are always many things that I am juggling - whether it's paperwork for meetings, hunting licenses or helping the residents at tax time," she said.

One of the challenges on the job is that the clerk has to be aware of the constantly changing rules and regulations that come down from the state. "Changes in reporting can be made at any time from the state level and I have to be ready to adapt to those changes."

Richardson has lived in Kendall for the past 20 years and she and her husband, Jim, have four school-aged children who attend the Kendall Central Schools.

When asked why the voters should choose her when they step into the booth, Richardson said, "I have put in the time seeking and undergoing training and that training has certainly paid off. I know I have the personality, skills and experience to do the job," she said. "I've been taking care of the office and the community, am knowledgeable about taking minutes and have a good working relationship with the town employees. If I were elected, I would be able to hit the ground running. There would be no switch in the daily operations in the town and that is especially important at tax time."

Gay Smith, a Kendall resident since 2000, said she decided to run for office because she has the skills necessary for the position. "I have worked on town, county, state and federal levels of government for many years," she said. She worked for the department of defense before moving to Kendall. She now works as a substitute teacher in the Kendall school district. She is running on the Democratic party line.

Smith ran for office two years ago, seeking the Kendall justice position. "I never ran for clerk before because at that time Nadine (Hanlon, former long time town clerk) was there and I figured if something isn't broken, why fix it. The town has gone through several clerks since that time and I feel the town needs some stability in that office."

Even though the town clerk isn't integrally involved in the budget process, she said there are a number of budget issues that are facing the town with the way the funds are being disbursed. She also said she knows there are roads within the town that need repairs and streets that still need water.

Before she decided to run, Smith said she went to the website of the New York Association of Town Clerks to see what the job involved. "I know I have the skills to do the job and I would like to be involved in taking care of the needs of the community," she said.

Smith has two grown sons and a 10-year-old son. She is married to Craig Smith.

"Even though I am not in the town clerk position right now, I think I have more experience than the incumbent has," she said. "My experience may be on a different level but I have the skills that it would take to effectively run the office."