The proposal trims the staff by half and cuts the clerk's salary by $5,000.
Chicopee City Clerk Keith W. Rattell stands behind the counter in his office.CHICOPEE – A proposal to cut the staff at the city clerk’s office by half will make it impossible to run elections or provide day-to-day services to residents, according to City Clerk Keith W. Rattell.
In the budget for fiscal year 2012, which begins in July, Mayor Michael D. Bissonnette proposed moving three employee’s from the clerk's office. One would go to the law department, another would be transferred to the City Council’s office and the third would be moved to the registrar of voters.
Rattell told the City Council his office was best run with seven full-time employees and one part-time staff member. But a year ago one full-time position was eliminated and half-way through this year the part-time compliance officer was laid off. Now the proposal is to move three more clerks to different offices.
“There is no possible way I, as the city clerk, can run a city-wide election having two employees,” Rattell said.
The moves would leave the office with Rattell, who is elected as the city clerk, and two full-time employees. The proposal also cuts Rattell’s salary from the current $66,500 to $61,500.
Rattell said it was not ideal running the office with six people, but during that period of time revenues from licenses and other fees have increased from $93,904 to $106,755.
The City Council met with Bissonnette last week to talk about some of the budget, but did not ask questions about the changes in the clerk’s office. Bissonnette left the meeting before the council started scrutinizing the city clerk’s budget.
Rattell told members he has had no explanation to why the cuts have been made or if responsibilities will change in his office.
Bissonnette is traveling for the city and could not be reached for comment.
If the responsibilities will be transferred to different offices, there are problems with the plans, Ratell said. For example one clerk is being moved to the City Council’s offices, yet just 25 percent of her current duties are assisting with that body, he said.
City Council president William M. Zaskey said the council voted to pass a supplemental budget that would restore Rattell’s salary as well as transfer the three positions back to the clerk’s office.
“While reorganization may have some merits, a detailed written plan outlining the proposed changes and responsibilities would have been beneficial in the discussion and decision-making process,” Zaskey said in the letter to the mayor.
He also cited concerns that the cut in staff will mean documents will not be filed on time and there will be problems filing licenses.