Elizabeth “Lissa” Magauran was appointed as the Town of Marion’s permanent full-time town clerk on September 20, after five years serving as the assistant town clerk.
It was the resignation of former town clerk, Ray Pickles, on September 3 that prompted the Board of Selectmen to first appoint Magauran as the temporary town clerk that same day to serve out the remainder of Pickles’ term, which expires in 2020. Now, later in the month, the selectmen took Town Administrator Jay McGrail’s recommendation to appoint Magauran as the permanent town clerk and make her a full-time, non-union employee.
With the assistance of Finance Director Judy Mooney, McGrail said the town was able to comprise a preliminary budget that would allow for a full-time town clerk because switching to a full-time town clerk, McGrail said, “reflects the needs of the town.”
Magauran’s former position as part-time assistant town clerk will not be eliminated since it is a union position, but it will not be filled.
“Although she wouldn’t have an assistant,” McGrail said, “to be honest, not much would change in her life.”
As town clerk, Pickles was rarely if ever spotted in the Town Clerk’s Office alongside Magauran, and Magauran appeared at the previous election and annual town meeting in Pickles’ absence.
According to McGrail, the new full-time town clerk arrangement will save the town $7,000 annually.
“I’m not [recommending Magauran as the full-time town clerk] because I think the savings are a real issue,” said McGrail. “… I think the board has an opportunity to, yes, save a little money, but also do the right thing for the community.”
Town Meeting voters accepted an article to make the elected town clerk position an appointed position during the 2019 Annual Town Meeting in May, giving the Board of Selectmen the appointing authority. Coincidentally, the Annual Town Meeting was McGrail’s first day on the job as town administrator.
“When this opportunity immediately… presented itself on my first day on the job at Town Meeting, I immediately knew this was the direction that I thought the town should go,” said McGrail.
“I think, honestly, it fits the building, the personnel, and the needs of the town in the best, most adequate way,” McGrail said. “Lissa does a great job.”
By Jean Perry