NEWBURYPORT — Weeks after City Clerk Kathleen Sullivan revealed what she considers a chilly working relationship with Mayor Sean Reardon’s administration, City Council President Ed Cameron is making it known that the clerk’s office reports to the council not City Hall.
Cameron’s resolution, which was expected to be put before the council Tuesday, reaffirmed the city clerk as an independent, statuary officer who reports directly to the City Council.
The role, according to Cameron, is not subordinate to the mayor, council president or any other individual municipal officer.
“This resolution is offered in the spirit of promoting cooperation between the city clerk and the administration,” he said. “There are lots of intersections between city departments and I want to support the city clerk in working with the other parts of city government. I’ve been talking with both the mayor and the clerk and we’re all looking to improve coordination, communication, and efficiency.”
While Mayor Sean Reardon agreed the clerk’s office is independent and neutral, since it works with elections, he added it’s also deeply interconnected with other city departments.
“As mayor, I will continue to encourage collaboration between all departments to ensure excellent services to residents,” he said. “Our public employees work to address resident issues everyday and we must work together to move our city forward.”
Cameron’s action comes a month after a May 5 General Government subcommittee meeting where Sullivan told councilors she’s had a strained relationship with Reardon’s administration since being appointed by the council in January.
Sullivan took over for retired clerk Richard Jones and quickly lobbied for the city to hire an office manager for her staff. But, according to Sullivan, Reardon ignored her overtures and turned down opportunities to meet with her. Stymied, Sullivan turned to the council for help.
She also said she had made multiple attempts to schedule meetings with the mayor’s office but had only spoken directly to Reardon once during a meeting in April.
At the time, Reardon told the Daily News the unfilled position is one of over 15 jobs across several departments the city is reducing this budget season, which ends at the end of the month.
Cameron’s non-binding resolution also dictates that the clerk shall formally be recognized as the department head of the clerk’s office.
If passed by the council, the resolution would take immediate effect, with a certified copy being given to the mayor as well as all department heads. It would also be posted on the city’s website.
When asked about the resolution Tuesday afternoon, Sullivan said she was not in a position to comment on anything coming in to the City Council until she had a better opportunity to review it.