Duties of the Town Clerk

Pursuant to Town Charter and General Laws of the State of Rhode Island

It shall be the duty of the Town Clerk:

• a) To act as clerk of the Council and to make a permanent record of all council proceedings;
• b) To certify by her signature all actions of the Council;
• c) To be Custodian of the Town Seal and of the official documents and records of the Town;
• d) To direct and supervise the recording of deeds, mortgages, vital statistics, and such other records as shall by law and ordinance be required to be kept by the Town Clerk;
• e) To perform such other duties as may be prescribed by the Charter, the Council, the Manager, or the General or Special Laws of the State of Rhode Island.

In addition to the duties established above, the Town Clerk, by statute, is also Probate Clerk and Ex-Officio Clerk to the Board of Canvassers, as well as Clerk to the Licensing Board. The Clerk attends all Probate Sessions and all Town Council, Licensing Board and Board of Canvassers meetings.

The Town Clerk's Office is continuously striving to provide courteous and efficient services to the citizens and taxpayers of the community through the most modern and cost-effective methods available.

Town Clerk History

The office of Town Clerk is the oldest in American history. It was created with the landing of the early settlers in America. On May 18, 1669, the first Town Meeting in Westerly was held and four officers were elected to carry on the business of the Town. Among them was the Town Clerk whose duty at that time was to record plots of land granted to the settlers.

Town Council Meetings

Rebroadcasts of the Monday Town Council meetings are aired on Wednesdays at 2 p.m. on PEG RI-TV Channel 18 (Cox) or Channel 29 (Verizon).