Letter to the Editor (Siegrist): An Appeal to Haddam

The views stated here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the editors of this newspaper. We welcome supporting or opposing views on any published item. Received June 30, 2025.

Today I am announcing my candidacy for re-election for Town Clerk of Haddam. On July 15, 2025, Registered Republicans will caucus at the Firehouse on Saybrook Road at 7:00 p.m. to pick their nominee, and I am humbly asking for your support that night. If in November you re-elect me, know that as your Town Clerk, I am here to help every citizen in Haddam, no matter what your political affiliation.

Four years ago, you selected me to be your Town Clerk. This was the greatest honor I could have received, even more so than when I previously served as your State Representative. This may sound surprising at first, but this role allowed me to make a deeper connection with our community. I have been there to congratulate residents on their new puppy or empathize with those who have lost theirs. I have shed tears with you when you’ve lost a loved one and I have congratulated you on your newborn. I’ve assured happy but nervous couples to just breathe, and that they are going to have a wonderful wedding!

When people ask, what does a Town Clerk do? I can respond with the simple answer of “we issue dog licenses, dump stickers, marriage licenses, birth and death certificates and record deeds,” but it’s these personal interactions that truly make it a rewarding role for me. You have a friend in Town Hall.

In my first year, I began to upgrade the office to present standards, working diligently to enhance and modernize services for Haddam. I have streamlined operations to help expand public access, whether it be online or in person.

During my first term, I:

1. Became a Certified Connecticut Town Clerk (CCTC).
2. Re-Elected Vice President of the Middlesex County Clerk for a second two-year term.
3. Brought Haddam Land Records Online (one of the last few towns in Connecticut to do so). You are now able to research land records anywhere there is internet access.
4. Took advantage of roughly $20,000 worth of Historic Preservation Grants from the Connecticut State Library.
   1. Finished indexing older to newer land record books.
   2. New fireproof shelving in vault.
   3. Investing in repairing old maps.
   4. New land records software and programs for office and public use.
5. Negotiated an affordable Property Alert system for Haddam Residents to protect you from potential property theft.
6. Acquired online dog licensing for residents at no cost to the town. This will help the Animal Control Officer locate lost dogs efficiently and allow the fire department access to know how many pets are in a household.
7. Microfilmed old minutes from boards and commission for back-up safeguards.
8. Began upgrading and refurbishing hundreds of historic maps, and investing in new map cabinets.
9. Redacted Social Security numbers from public records, protecting resident’s identity.
10. Kept the Town Clerk budget from large increases that would affect taxpayers.

Over many years, the Town Clerk’s Office has become the nexus of municipal government. In 1934, political scientist and Professor William Bennett Munro wrote, “No other office in municipal service has so many contracts. It serves the mayor, the city council, the city manager (when there is one), 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 the city administration this office pulls together.”

With gratitude,

Bob Siegrist, CCTC

Haddam Town Clerk

VP Middlesex County Clerk Assn.