Each town clerk may, unless otherwise provided by charter or ordinance, appoint assistant town clerks, who, having taken the oath provided for town clerks, shall, in the absence or inability of the town clerk, have all the powers and perform all the duties of the town clerk. Within ten days after a town clerk appoints an assistant town clerk, the town clerk shall file a notice of such appointment with the Secretary of the State, indicating the name and address of the person appointed, the date and method of such appointment and the law under which the appointment was made. Within ten days after a vacancy occurs in the office of assistant town clerk, the town clerk shall notify the Secretary of the State of such vacancy.

(1949 Rev., S. 546; 1953, S. 220d; 1961, P.A. 182; P.A. 73-198, S. 1, 2; P.A. 82-327, S. 1; P.A. 87-387, S. 5; P.A. 02-137, S. 5.)

History: 1961 act added provision assistant town clerks shall in absence or inability of clerk “have all his powers”; P.A. 73-198 changed number of assistant clerks from “one or two” to “not more than three”; P.A. 82-327 specified that towns may appoint assistants in another manner if charter or ordinance so provides and removed the bond provision from this section; P.A. 87-387 required town clerk to notify secretary of the state of appointment of an assistant town clerk or vacancy in office of assistant town clerk; P.A. 02-137 deleted requirement that appointment of assistant town clerks be approved by one of the selectman, deleted limit of “not more than three” assistant town clerks and made technical changes for purposes of gender neutrality, effective January 1, 2003.