Savoy Town Clerk Retiring From PostBy Noah Hoffenberg
iBerkshires Correspondent
10:36PM / Sunday, March 22, 2009
SAVOY, Mass. — Veteran Town Clerk Jane M. Phinney won't be seeking re-election this year, opening the door for two women to compete for the job.
"For one thing, I'm 77 years old … I'm tired," said Phinney in an interview Sunday. "It was a wonderful experience. I don't regret one minute of it. I'm going to miss it. I love the job. But at night, it's hard for me."
Phinney, of Barnard Road, started as town clerk in 2000. Prior to that, she'd been the town librarian, a member of the Historical Commission and sat on the School Building Committee. Phinney has also written the history of Savoy.
She looks back fondly at her time as clerk, although she hastens to add that add that she'll remain active in the workings of the town.
"I'll still be involved. I'm not going to curl into a ball and never go out the door anymore.”
Phinney — who formerly summered in Savoy with her husband and then moved here from Summit, N.J., in 1991 — will be continuing her work of transcribing and transferring old town records onto CDs.
Hours for the town clerk's job are, technically speaking, supposed to be eight per week, but it can vary from 16 to 20 hours down four, depending on how busy it is, said Phinney.
Paid $3,000 a year, plus a small amount from fees collected from dog and marriage licenses and birth and death certificates, Phinney said she goes into the office three times a week to conduct business. Despite the low pay, she joked that the job has its perks.
"You get a corner office. The town clerk's office is in the old one-room schoolhouse, and I sit in the girls' lavatory. As a matter of fact, the hole in the floor is still there," said Phinney.
She said doing the job was never about the money. "It's really a very nice job, and I've enjoyed it enormously, and there's a lot of it that I'll miss. They're wonderful people to work with. I hope whoever wins will feel the same about it.”
Town Offices Up for Re-Election
There are two people running for Phinney's three-year seat: Ronna Brandt Tynan and Brenda Smith. Both have taken out nomination papers and returned them, said Phinney.
"They're both well qualified," said Phinney, who noted that Smith was a longtime postmaster in the hilltowns and that Brandt Tynan, wife of Selectmen Chairman John Tynan, has served on various boards in town.
In addition to the town clerk's seat, there's a three-year term on School Committee, Phinney said, but no one has expressed interest. Member Chris Andersen has said he's not running again so it will be a write-in post.
"We're a very tiny town, and we usually end up filling all the seats with write-ins. People, especially if they've done it before, will say, 'Well, OK,'" said Phinney.
John Tynan is running again for selectman, unopposed for a three-year term. He did pull and return papers. Whether someone steps forward as a write-in challenger is uncertain, said Phinney.
"Last year, we didn't think anybody was running, and we had two people for write-ins that came very very close. Sometimes, people just write somebody in, and when I tell them that they won by one vote, it's up to them to say if they want it or not."
There will be a three-year term for assessor, currently held by Samuel Davis. He hasn't pulled papers, but Phinney expects him to be a write-in candidate. The Cemetery Commission has an open three-year seat, held by now by
Karen Freitag, but she also hasn't taken out nomination papers. Phinney didn't know if she'd be a write-in candidate.
The one-year moderator's post, held by Eric Krutiak, is up again. Phinney said he'll likely accept re-election as a write-in. "I'm sure we're all hoping that he'll accept again," said Phinney.
Brandt Tynan has returned papers for a three-year seat on the Park Commission. There's a five-year term on Planning Board to fill a vacancy that remains from last year's resignation of Jamie Reinhardt. Phinney said he resigned because of outstanding obligations.
Tax Collector Susan McGrath is up for re-election for a three-year term, and she'll be on the ballot.
Tuesday is the deadline to turn in nominations to the town clerk's office. The election will be held May 20 at the Senior Center, right behind the town offices, from noon to 8 p.m. Town meeting will be held the week prior, on May 13, at 7 p.m. at the fire station on Route 116. Warrant articles have not been submitted by the Selectmen.
Savoy has about 729 residents, of which approximately 520 are registered voters.
Contact Noah Hoffenberg at hoff1013@gmail.com. |
