The city of Waltham is looking for a new city clerk, according to a WickedLocal article published on Thursday. The position has been vacant since the retirement of former Clerk Rosario Malone last fall, and Assistant Clerk Joseph Vizard has been unofficially filling both the main and assistant roles, according to the article.

WickedLocal reported that the Waltham City Council approved the advertisement of the position, which was published Thursday on the city’s website. 

The duties of the city clerk, a three-year appointed position include “keeping birth, death and marriage records, issuing permits and licenses, collecting fees, and conducting elections and the city census,” as well as preparing the “agenda and all materials for City Council meetings and run[ning] the meetings.” For Brandeis students who wish to register to vote or acquire a driver’s license, the vacancy proves to be a hindrance.

This not the first time the clerk’s office has dealt with staff shortages, the article stated. During the year-long medical leave of former Clerk Tom Curtain, the office was “plagued by staff shortages,” and often “failed to properly post notices, and was unable to provide clerk services for certain committee meetings.” 

However, according to the article, Vizard stated that although it is “challenging to do two jobs,” the office has been running relatively smoothly and has not had “any big procedural problems.”

Responding to questions from the News Tribune, City Council President Diane LeBlanc “praised Vizard and the office staff for their work on council business” in an email, but added, “No question, we need to fill the position ASAP.”

—Emily Blumenthal