From the Eagle Tribune;
Cavalear, Mangini square off in Atkinson clerk's race
By Eric Parry
eparry@eagletribune.com
ATKINSON — Incumbent Town Clerk Rose Cavalear was appointed to her job on March 1, 2008, when the former clerk resigned. She is being challenged by Patricia Mangini for a three-year term.
Name: Rose Cavalear
Age: 53
Occupation: Town clerk
Incumbent: Yes
Elective experience: None
What is the single most important issue facing the Atkinson town clerk's office? The most important issue is keeping myself and staff up to date with the ever changing and complex regulatory and statutory changes.
Name: Patricia Mangini
Age: 49
Occupation: Customer service/office manager
Incumbent: No
Elective experience: Supervisor of the checklist
What is the single most important issue facing the Atkinson town clerk's office? I am committed to making the residents' needs my top priority. I will increase efficiency, reduce costs, and bring added revenue to Atkinson to offset taxes.
Atkinson Town Hall
The Norman Rockwellian picture of Atkinson
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40 comments:
Hy Patty, How does a Town Clerk "bring added revenue to the town to offset taxes"?
nice sound bite, huh?
I know someone that asked that question and was told that the town makes direct revenue on various things done at the town's clerk office than being done directly with the state. But I don't know the details. Since she was deputy for 3 years, I suppose she knows what those are. Even though she is not the incumbent, you can't forget that she was in the office for 3 years and has an insider's perspective of what changes can be made to make the office more productive.
yes like car registrations, that is direct revenue, but what can the town clerk do to increase those?
Town CLerk also gets additional revenue by being certified to do boats, and trailers, and other direct duties for state, and Rose is already certified to do those things, so again, what can Patty do to increase revenue?
We want details.
Dont promise what you cant deliver, leave that to our Governor, President, and Congress.
Obviously, like Bennett is tied to Consentino, Patty is tied to Sapia. Selectmen forced Linda out and want Patty in. Best reason to vote for Rose is she not tied to any of them, and already has the experience. Rose has our vote for sure.
Isn't this a curse? Seems every
candidate the blog backs ends with a loss? Perhaps you should endorse your opposition! Just my humble opinion.....What say you Curt?
The Town Clerk's office brings in revenue from marriage licenses, copies of birth, marriage or death certificates. I think there may be some permit fees which goes through that office as well. And probably more "stuff" too.
But how does the town clerk increase those fees?
In my opinion,we have a reliable,polite,dedicated worker as our Town Clerk. Why would we want to chnge that? The revenue taken in by the clerk is mandated by the state.
If it's not broken don't fix it.
We have an elected official who does her job. Isn't that what we want for all elected officials?
It would be nice.
Rose Cavalear for Selectman!
Rose is verynice, no ego, super pleasant, and devoted to offering great service.
When I had to deal with Patty once she was a bit snotty; as clerk, I imagine her attitude would be that you were lucky that she had the time to wait on you, and you had better be grateful for it. I think Rose is the type that feels grateful for the job, and that she's willing to work hard for the public.
I think Patty's just one of the Sapia-type "yuppie" crowd that's trying to turn the town into a Massachusetts bedroom community. I came to NH for NH, not for it to become Andover...
From what I saw on the candidates night talk, Patty said the way to increase the revenues for Atkinson is to make folks (from Atkinson, especially but also from other towns) choose to apply for marriage licenses or get copies of death/marriage certficates from Atkinson and not other towns like Hampstead. The state only gets a part of the total fee; the town that collects it gets the rest - and many people think that Hampstead is more effcient than Atkinson so they don't use their own town. Rose has been in the job for a year now, and nothing has changed/improved since Linda. Since Patty was in the office before, she seems to have some ideas on how it could be run better. Rose had her chance to impress us before even running for the position and I haven't seen any improvement. I think it is time to elect someone that wants to make improvements, save money and raise revenue.
Maybe if Patty wasn't such a snob I'd agree, but since the fact that Rose is courteous, efficient, and hard working, why would I possibly want to vote for a Sapia supporter? That's crazy...
Gee, my interactions with Patti for recreation activities like Sun and Fun have been very pleasant. She was extremely helpful and I never saw her act snooty once. And for a person that spends so much volunteer time on behalf of the town, I can't understand why anyone (anon 10:23p) would think that she would work any less hard for this town than Rose! Patti is a go-getter and a very hard worker. And, she was thought very highly of by Linda Jette when she was her deputy (based on the comments she read last night from her performance review). I don't think it is fair to characterize her - nor is it fair to decide that she is "tied" to Jack Sapia. I would think that as the chairperson of the recreation group she has had to work with selectmen on things. Does that make one tied to them? I am sorry but that is a stretch. I think Patti is a good person, a very hard worker and does so much for this town.
I wouldn't describe Rose as town clerk as "courteous, effecient, and hard-working". My experience before the presidental election when I went to the office to collect an absentee ballot for my son, in college, was none of the above. I was first given incorrect information. Then on my return visit, sat waiting for 20 minutes without being acknowledged by Rose or the other woman in the office. One or both of them should have at least greeted me or told me something, but I was ignored. I agree with the comment above about people going to other towns. If I could have done my business in another town, I'd have gotten up and left. I think there a lot of room for improvement in that office and I am going to vote for the person that wants to improve it, regardless if Rose might be very nice. I am sure a lot of people think Patti is very nice too, but what I care about is how well they will run that office. I think there's stuff there that needs fixing.
Anyone who doesn't think Patty Mangini won't work hard for this town wasn't around during the ice storm this year. She was at the community center's warming center every day from start to finish and was key to organizing that. And she was very friendly to everyone! I can't believe that people think she is a snob. She is so nice and helpful to people. I think she'd be a very good town clerk and a very hard worker.
I want to elect someone who knows what they are doing and will get the job done.
Rose has been doing it for the last 4 years. She knows all the new laws, and changes in that office. And she does the job well.
If I remember correctly, there was some flap that resulted in Patty leaving the town clerks office. I dont remember if she was let go, or asked to leave.
Does anyone else remember?
But that blurb from her performance review under Linda was smart, it made it look as if Linda endorsed her.
WOW..I have never once thought of Patty as a snob..she does so much for this town. Isn't she the one who held the dinner for the people who helped out during the ice storm. gee..I also have never walked into the town clerks office and been snubbed either. Maybe its the way you present your self. I tend to just walk in say hello..I am polite and respectful. I have been in the town clerks office and heard the way some residents demand things and have that attitude.."don't you know who I am" So basically comes down to who
is better suited for the job. Not about who you feel is a snob. some things I read on hear i just find ridiculous. But hey here I am reading and responding so that makes me just as ridiculous at times. good luck to both candidates...
Patty gave the job up once already. Rose is much more pleasant and does a great job and does not get into the politics. I'm voting for Rose, it makes the most sense.
Hmmm..I believe Patty was deputy town clerk once not town clerk, so she never gave up the job as town clerk. I don't know Patty a someone that plays politics either. I think she keeps out of it and just does a good job for the people in the town. Both are good people I think. I just think Patty is a go-getter and will make some needed changes in that office that are long overdue. She is town clerk certified and knows the laws already too. She'll do great.
Patti Mangini was neither let go nor asked to leave the town clerk's office. She was a very good worker in that office.(Clearly, given the words that Linda said about her in her review!) She left for a higher paying job because her son was starting college. And Linda was very sad to see her go.
to anon 11:35 - I was the one that posted about being ignored for 20 minutes in the office, and no, I did not have a "don't you know who I am attitude". I took a seat and waited to be helped as any other resident. And there was no acknowledgement that they knew I was waiting and would get to me soon. The other woman was busy with a customer but Rose was just doing something at her desk. She could have easily looked up and said something - especially once the wait became long. I expect to wait my turn like everyone, but there were two people working and only one with a customer, so such a long time made no sense to me. It's all about customer service and just being polite. As I said, I would have headed to Hampstead if I could have.
Does anyone know who is responsible for the what's printed on the ballot? I thought it was the town clerk and I am reading about how efficient Rose is, but I got my absentee ballot TWICE this week. The second with a letter that the dollar amount in a town warrant article was wrong. And it came with a return envelope with pre-paid postage. So, this mistake just cost us taxpayers money!! Postage for the second mailing, postage for the pre-paid return envelope (sent only because of the mistake, and the time (in salary $$) to re-do the mailing and re-send corrected absentee ballots to us. And I wonder if the actual voting day ballots were also printed wrong?? - if so, then they would need to be re-printed and that will cost extra money too!! If this is under the town clerk's duties, then this mistake just cost us taxpayers money...and I thought our current town clerk was efficient? She may have just lost my vote.
Rose is not efficient...she messed up our trailer registration and the state had to fix it. With all the training she is suppose to have, a trailer registration should have been a piece of cake.
Patty screamed at me one day so I don't want to deal with her anymore, ever. She was just the deputy, not the town clerk and she quit for a better job. Hmmmm..
If Patty wasn't a Sapia associate, why was Sapia trying to get her put in as Clerk after he worked "ease" Linda out of her job?
I think Patty should have refused to go along with such a plot; the fact she was willing to be a part of it just seems wrong to me; Linda was a dedicated employee, and watching her be coerced out of her job was a tragedy in my view, and anyone willing to participate in that little plan makes me cautious about them.
Linda wasn't any more coerced out of her job than any other state employee that retired last year because of benefits being reduced if you retired later. Did you by any chance notice that a LOT of teachers retired last year as well (like Bucky)? Same reason. She was going to retire anyway so no one is to blame for "pushing her out". Patty wasn't part of anything. She was always interested in the town clerk's position when Linda was ready to retire, and this is the first election since she has. Her running has nothing to do with Sapia. And just because a person you don't like supports a candidate doesn't mean they are "a Sapia associate".
Patty already runs the Recreation
Commission. Now she wants the Town Clerk position also. Just how much does she need to control?
I heard that Linda Jette was very dissatified with Patty's poor people skills and was on the verge of asking her to leave when Patty wisely quit first.
The same with the Tax Collector position. Debbie already has a very time-demanding job as our State Rep. People should not grab for more than one job when there are other qualified people available for the job.
Linda left because the selectmen, Sapia in particular made her life in that job unbearable. I know I watched it happen, and if you ask her, she will probably tell you that. Sapia screaming at her in her own office, because he didnt like the way she handled it, didnt help either.
If that's true, and Patty was willing to step in after that (having knowledge of it ahead of time), I don't think that's particularly desireable in a town clerk. And if Rose has made a mistake or two that has nothing to do with efficiency; it means she's a human being, like you and me. At least human beings have hearts...
recreation commission is a volunteer position; town clerk is a paid position -- how does that indicate control?
The comment about Patty on the verge of being asked to leave is BS. Linda's own review of her was the complete opposite. That is just one person trying to create rumors. Linda wanted her to stay.
a volunteer spot and a paid position are two very different things - but her success and respect in the recreation job speak volumes to how capable she is.
Anon 10:52 - Where is your logic? It is OK for Rose to want the town clerk's position, based on the assumption that Linda was run of it (which would have been seen first-hand by Rose who was in the office) - but yet, not what you'd want in a town clerk if Patti wants the job? Huh? And in fact, it was Rose that "stepped into" the position, as it was given to her for this year. She was never elected to it. Patti is just running for it now that it is available - just like Rose.
And sure, human beings make mistakes and all - but this blog especially - has no tolerance for any mistakes that cost taxpayer's money...... so it is hard to call one efficient if they are making mistakes especially after being in the postion for nearly a year and the deputy years prior - so these aren't even "newbie" mistakes!
Rose has Town Clerk experience, Patty doesn't.
I think they have equivalent experience. Both were deputy town clerks for 3 years and Rose has only been the town clerk for a year. Either will be fine. Both are good people and are well liked.
You think Patty is well liked? Where have you been? She is as well liked as Sapia. The only difference is Sapia wears Patty around his neck like a piece of jewelry. The last thing we need in town office is a Jack Sapia LOOK-A-LIKE. (another non-thinking Chief's puppet)
Patty is very well liked, and I've been in THIS town where Patty gives a lot of her time volunteering for so many things. She is at every event, often being the person that organizes it. Whether Jack Sapia likes Patty or not, Patty is no one's puppet. She has her own views on things. She had more letters to the carraige towne newspaper editor in her support than any other Atkinson candidate. That tells me that people care about her enough to take the time to show their support because they believe in her...it all gets back to my original point - Patty is very well liked.
As they like to say, "Let's see if I got my facts straight."
When Linda "decided" to quit, the crew, (Jack, Paul and Fred) were all set to "help" Patty run and take over the Town Clerk's office. One minor problem, Linda didn't "officially" quit until Feb. 2008, after the election sign-up for March Town Meeting had closed. Since the rules said the assistant Town Clerk takes over until the next election, Rose became Town Clerk.
Next, Rose filled her full-time assistant job with someone who soon quit. Now when she went to hire a replacement, the "crew" decided to micromanage the Town Clerk's office and change the assistant Town Clerk position to part-time. (I guess this means Rose's position no longer exists, leaving her out in the cold if she loses.)
Next, they cut the part-time position from 30 to 20 hours. Same office, open the same amount of hours each week, with the same workload, but 20 fewer man-hours.
Cut from 110 to 90, almost a 20% decrease. (Anyone notice they had to wait more lately?)
Nice plan, if it was one. The crew makes it look like Rose and company are not doing a good job, effectively greasing the skids for Patty. Will it work? I guess we will find out Tuesday.
So I ask, Patty, if elected, will your first course of action be to ask for a full-time assistant and 30 hr. part-timer? Or will you just request another 20 hr. part-timer to enhance the revenues you seem to believe are being missed?
If neither, how do you feel about running the office you worked in for a few years but having 20 hrs. less in manpower each week?
And Rose, will you try to get the hours back or can you run the office effectively on these fewer hours?
With that said, may the best woman win. Either way, the town wins.
"I think they have equivalent experience. Both were deputy town clerks for 3 years and Rose has only been the town clerk for a year. "
fuzzy math (they're not equal )
Personally, I am not concerned about volunteering unless it's connected to the job and shows added experience for the job. It is not relevant and neither is how much a person is liked. Rose has more experience and more certifications, and her experience is current.
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