[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 79 (Friday, May 7, 2021)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E489]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]





            IN HONOR OF NEW HAMPSHIRE'S CITY AND TOWN CLERKS

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. CHRIS PAPPAS

                            of new hampshire

                    in the house of representatives

                          Friday, May 7, 2021

  Mr. PAPPAS. Madam Speaker, I rise today during Municipal and Town 
Clerks Appreciation Week to honor New Hampshire's City and Town Clerks 
for the hard work that they do each and every day to ensure our local 
governments run smoothly and that our citizens get the services they 
need.
  Municipal clerks deliver important public services and each year 
interact with hundreds of members of their community. Whether 
maintaining public records, registering motor vehicles, licensing dogs 
and other pets, or administering local elections, chances are you've 
relied on your local clerk more than once in the last year and on 
countless occasions throughout your life.
  During this pandemic, we've asked city and town clerks to go above 
and beyond under incredibly difficult circumstances. The COVID-19 
pandemic necessarily shut down many aspects of society in order to keep 
our families and communities safe. But the work of a clerk must 
continue to ensure that citizens are served and that the wheels of 
local government continue to move forward.
  Administering an election in the best of times is incredibly 
challenging. Doing so in a pandemic meant clerks had to rewrite the 
playbook and develop and implement new best practices on short notice. 
New Hampshire residents voted in record numbers last fall, and even 
with an unprecedented number of ballots cast early and by mail, our 
elections ran as smoothly as ever because of the dedication and hard 
work of our municipal clerks. Providing services and maintaining vital 
records in the best of times is complex and time consuming. Doing so in 
a pandemic meant clerks needed to adapt to meet the needs of their 
neighbors to do their job while keeping residents safe. These are no 
small feats, and we are grateful.
  The New Hampshire City and Town Clerks Code of Ethics states: ``Town 
and city clerks are elected and/or appointed by the citizens who have 
the utmost trust and faith in the clerk's ability to fairly and 
honestly serve their community. Let us all live up to that trust with 
honor and dignity.'' Over the last year, our municipal clerks have 
indeed lived up to that trust and performed their duties with honor and 
dignity throughout New Hampshire.
  On behalf of my constituents in New Hampshire's First Congressional 
District, I want to thank our municipal clerks for their dedication to 
New Hampshire and convey the thanks of a grateful state for their 
continued public service.

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