SOUTHWICK — In a 2-1 vote, the Select Board on April 22 chose Christina Myette as the new town clerk.
Board Chair Douglas Moglin and member Jason Perrone favored Myette, while board member Diane Gale supported Holly Hebda.
With Myette, for the first time in over five decades, the town will have one department head designated solely as town clerk, not a combined treasurer-collector-clerk overseeing multiple departments. The state Legislature and governor signed a home-rule petition that Southwick had requested earlier this year splitting the position into two.
Both Myette and Hebda are current town employees with experience in the treasurer-collector-clerk’s office.
Hebda, who earned a bachelor’s degree, has been working in the treasurer-collector-clerk’s office since March 2021, and before that worked with American Honda Finance Corp. in Holyoke, first as a senior customer representative before being promoted to lead customer account representative.
Myette has been employed by the town since July 2013. She began her career with the town in the treasurer-collector-clerk’s office before being named the Department of Public Works office manager in 2014. She earned an associate degree.
After their interviews, Gale was the first to speak and supported Hebda. She said Hebda had gained “more relevant experience” working in the clerk’s office and had experience in “juggling” the requirements needed to manage the office. Gale said Hebda’s education and experience had given her more points on the Massachusetts Town Clerks’ Association checklist toward professional certification — 15 out of 50 points, versus Myette’s 12.5 out of 50.
Moglin said both candidates were “very capable … with bright futures,” but that he favored Myette. Perron took some time before deciding to agree with Moglin.
Also during Monday’s meeting, Public Works Director Randy Brown proposed having the two DPW employees who work in Town Hall be moved to his department’s main office on College Highway. He said that would free up additional office space in Town Hall for the reconfiguration of the former treasurer-collector-clerk office into two separate offices.
