City Clerks contribute to many aspects of the corporation
Running a City Council or Committee meeting… providing procedural advice… assisting with report writing and recommendations… understanding changes from the Province or handling bylaw changes… holding a Municipal Election or a Municipal Census…
These are all items that have one commonality: they will go through the lens and perspective of the City Clerk's office.
This department acts like a glue for the corporation, specifically as the conduit between the public, City Council and City Administration.
“We serve all three with zero opinion or comment,” says Ryan Westerton, Legislative Services Manager. “We are impartial and we support their needs to achieve transparent, fair, and equitable level of governance at all levels.”
“I have been doing this for a very long time, and the most important elements we bring to the table are being organized, detailed, communicative, knowledgeable, adaptable,” says City Clerk Bonnie Hilford. “We strive for perfection.”
This week marks International Professional Municipal Clerks Week, which is designed to increase the public’s awareness of Municipal Clerks and the vital services they provide for local government and the community.
“The City’s done a good job of recognizing this. City Manager Lloyd Brierley recognized each member of the team, as did a few elected officials on their social media. It's a nice recognition, but it's not something that we ever do this job for,” says Westerson.
“We do it because we love this job, we love the process, we love being a supporting mechanism for the organization and for our governing body. We are these kind of gatekeepers of information and process.”
“We appreciate Council and Administration coming to us to ask our advice, it helps us all achieve our goals and be successful,” says Hilford. “Our door is always open if you need help – we are happy to assist.”
In addition to his role with the City of Lethbridge, Westerson recently wrapped up a three-year term as President of the Alberta Municipal Clerks Association (AMCA) as part of an overall five years on their Board of Directors. He says one of the biggest benefits he sees transfer to his City position is the connection he now has with colleagues around the province.
“I have the capacity and ability to pick up the phone and text one of my colleagues in Edmonton, Calgary, Red Deer, Medicine Hat, Pincher Creek, Grande Prairie, anywhere, varying size of municipalities, to get an answer to something that I might be having trouble with or looking for their feedback or something if we're going through an issue that we're not used to or we're looking for a little bit more advice on,” Westerson says.
“It's nice to get feedback from those that are larger than us that deal with different items more readily. But also, to be a sounding board for those that are growing and learning and developing in their municipalities,” he continues. “I think the Alberta Municipal Clerks Association has been an excellent resource, not only for me, but Ms. Hilford's been a past member of the Board. And most recently at the same conference that I stepped down, Ms. (Stephanie) Parsonage (Legislative Officer) on our team was elected secretary by her peers. She will now serve a two-year term as the secretary of the Board. I'm excited for her, not only from the perspective for her professional development, but also, it's a continued professional development for the City.”
“I am very proud of Ryan – he did an amazing job as President,” says Hilford. “Now, he has connections all over Alberta, as well as outside Alberta to call upon for clerk-related questions. Ryan brings initiative, political acumen, dedication, a passion for the field, great ideas, a willingness to learn and help, and is not afraid to challenge me, which gets us to a better outcome."