Health & Fitness
Welcome to the West Bloomfield Township Clerk's Office!
During a week of elections in many communities, West Bloomfield Township Clerk Cathy Shaughnessy discusses the responsibilities and duties of her office.
While many residents of West Bloomfield Township use the Clerk’s office from time to time, most would be surprised to realize just how much responsibility our office actually has.
I’m Catherine Shaughnessy and I’m your Township Clerk. In my inaugural blog post on West Bloomfield Patch, I think it is appropriate to introduce you to what our office does on a daily basis for the taxpayers of this great community.
If asked, most residents would respond that running elections is our number one responsibility and they would be right. Elections are massive, labor intensive endeavors, and it is important that they come out right every time. We work with and train both township employees and a small army of citizen volunteers to conduct each and every election.
Find out what's happening in West Bloomfieldwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
While Election Day is the big event, we have staff in our office working on elections year round. Voter records must be maintained and election workers recruited and trained for the next election. From election night on, we are always preparing for the next election.
Our office also provides other services to residents. For instance, if you want to have a garage sale, you must come to the Clerk’s Office to pick up the permit and signs. Various business licenses are issues by our department. Want to apply for a passport for international travel? You have no further to go than to our office to process all the forms needed to obtain your passport.
Find out what's happening in West Bloomfieldwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Most people are unaware of the fact that in West Bloomfield Township government, the Clerk is in charge of the Department of Finance. I’m responsible for making sure bills and paychecks are paid on a regular basis. We have accountants making sure each transaction complies with state financial standards. I also review each and every purchase order issued for goods and services. These checks and balances, long ago built into the daily running of West Bloomfield Township, make sure that your tax dollars are being spent wisely.
I serve as both the executive officer in charge of the Clerk’s Office and also serve in a legislative role on the Township Board. I vote on each and every issue coming before the board and help shape the overall policy of our entire government as one of seven equal members of the Board.
I take my responsibilities very seriously. I believe that I have a duty to inform the residents of this great community what is going on in their local government. That is why I’m currently working to improve our township website (wbtwp.com) and have an active presence on both Facebook and Twitter.
This week is the 42nd Annual Municipal Clerks Week as proclaimed by the International Institute of Municipal Clerks. We will celebrate this week by finding new ways to serve you more effectively.
