The municipal clerk is the oldest of public servants and a critical part of efficient and responsive local government. The accurate recording, careful safeguarding, and prompt retrieval of public records are vital functions, without which effective local government could not exist. 

Perhaps this quote from Prof. Bennett Munroe sums up the Office of the City Clerk best: "No other office in municipal service has so many contacts. It serves the mayor, the city council, the city manager, and all administrative departments, without exception. All of them call upon it, almost daily, for some service or information. Its work is not spectacular, but it demands versatility, alertness, accuracy and no end of patience. The public does not realize how many loose ends of city administration this office pulls together." 

As local government has grown in responsibility and importance through the nation's history, so has the role of the municipal clerk. The clerk provides a direct link between past, present and future by preserving records for posterity and implementing governmental decisions. Municipal clerks also seek better and more effective ways to perform these critical responsibilities in light of the rapid technological advances of today's world. 

Organizational Structure 
The City Clerk's Department of the City of Fillmore consists of one full-time employee, the Deputy City Clerk, and the part-time elected City Clerk. The Deputy City Clerk is responsible for the day-to-day activities and operations of the City Clerk's Office. The City Clerk, which is elected every four years, now basically serves as a figurehead, much as the City Treasurer does. The Deputy City Clerk also serves as the administrative assistant to the City Council and the City Manager, handling various administrative duties for those positions. The Deputy City Clerk also answers directly to the public, acting as an agent for the City Clerk, who is chosen by the citizens of Fillmore. 

The Deputy City Clerk/City Clerk is responsible for several key areas of Fillmore's government, including: 

• Preparation of Agendas for City Council meetings
• Keeping of accurate Minutes from City Council meetings
• Management of City Records, including archives
• Management of City Documents, including petitions, lawsuits and claims
• Services for the City Council, such as handling mail, responses, proclamations, resolutions/ordinances, and citizen inquiries
• Administering Oaths of Office
• Budget Management
• Campaign and Economic Disclosures of City Council and staff
• Keeper of the Municipal Code
• Bid Openings
• Keeper of the Official Seal
• Management of Elections
• Public and staff relations/Public Information Officer/handle media inquiries
• Notices: publication of and filing
• Licenses and permit processing (Some permits are handled by the City's front desk please call for information)
• Citizens Advisory Group application form (Acrobat Reader required)

Fillmore Municipal Code Available on the Web

Persons can now browse the Fillmore Municipal Code on line from the privacy and convenience of their personal computer.

The Fillmore Municipal Code, which includes all those local laws adopted as ordinances by the Fillmore City Council, may be viewed on the World Wide Web at:  http://ordlink.com/codes/fillmore

The site allows persons to conduct a search of the Fillmore Municipal Code or browse the code chapter-by-chapter. A list of all ordinances adopted throughout the City's history is also listed on the site. The code is updated at least once a year, therefore, not all ordinances recently adopted by the City Council may be reflected in the code. If you have a question about a recently adopted ordinance, please contact the Deputy City Clerk at amendez@ci.fillmore.ca.us

The web site, which is maintained by the company that compiles and codifies the City's municipal code, Book Publishing Company, also includes the municipal codes of various other cities in California and in several other states. There is no fee to visit the site.

For more information please contact the Deputy City Clerk at (805) 524-1500, extension 219, or via the email address listed above.