Candidate Profile: Amy Warfield For Burlington Town Clerk

BURLINGTON, MA — Dozens of candidates are running in the April 10 Burlington Town Election, including in contested races for the Board of Selectmen and town clerk. Burlington Patch asked Board of Selectmen, town clerk and School Committee candidates to answer questions about their campaigns and has been publishing candidate profiles.

Amy Warfield is running for re-election as town clerk. She faces challenger Joseph J. Welch.

Warfield has been the town clerk for the 10 years.

Are you running for office in Burlington? Contact Christopher Huffaker at chris.huffaker@patch.com for information on being featured in a candidate profile and submitting campaign announcements to Burlington Patch.

Previously on Patch: Burlington Election Final List: Dozens Run For Town Offices

Amy Warfield

Age (as of Election Day)

64

Position Sought

Town Clerk

Family

Husband Larry Warfield

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

No - just myself, I am the current Town Clerk in Burlington

Education

BA - Education

Occupation

Town Clerk in Burlington, 10 years

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office

I have been a Town Meeting member and Library Trustee in the town.

Campaign website

www.reelectamywarfield.com

Why are you seeking elective office?

After serving as your Town Clerk for the last 10 years, it’s a job I’m well qualified for. I enjoy bring my experience of 25 years in the private sector to the town which allows me to give back to my community. It is my privilege to serve the residents and businesses of Burlington. This is reflected in the respect and attention I give to each person I encounter -- ordinary citizen, political activist, or powerful developer.

The single most pressing issue facing our (board, district, etc.) is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

The most pressing issues will be elections. Legislation currently under development will affect our processes, methods and requirements. Our voting equipment is reaching the end of its life and needs replacing. New equipment will require developing new processes and training of the election workers and voters. With the current social political climate, it will take someone with experience who can remain fair and neutral to retain the trust of the residents. I have developed that trust, which will assist me in moving forward with these changes

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

The biggest differences would be my experience and proven leadership in the position. My experience as the Burlington Town Clerk for the past 10 years combined with my numerous courses and certifications have me well equipped to be Town Clerk.

I have demonstrated leadership in a variety of ways from leading my staff, to interdepartmental projects and implementing state systems locally. These include development of new town website and implementing an interdepartmental electronic permitting system for processing Building and Zoning records. These improvements have enhanced communication and sharing between all parties while improving access to the permanent records.

How do you think local officials performed in responding to the coronavirus? What if anything would you have done differently?

I'm proud that my office was able to continue to provide our essential services, conduct elections and hold Town Meetings. We did all this without being a source of spreading COVID. We performed well in a challenging environment with consistently changing constraints and guidance.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform.

Two other issues are 1) Continue to prudently manage budgets in an environment expected to be challenging financially; 2) To endeavor to continue to improve the efficiency, quality and volume of the services we provide.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

If you just look at the accomplishments of the past year you would see that evidence clearly. In the midst of a pandemic we were able to:

• Plan and conduct 3 socially distanced elections, including the Presidential Election, all with significant increases in absentee / early voting..
• Plan and conduct 3 Town Meetings; (1 outdoor and 2 combined virtual and in-person attendance).
• Obtain guidance from our Board of Health and town administration when planning elections, town meetings, and normal daily activities (with no incidents reported).
• Design, roll out and support a process for virtual committee meetings for all town boards.
• Implement the ViewPoint application to improve communication of building-related activities between Planning, Building, Board of Appeals, and other departments while capturing permanent records. This allowed these activities to continue even when Town offices were closed to the public.
• Implement a new version of the town website.
• Create on-line, recorded Town Meeting Info Sessions for Town Meeting Members and the public.

The best advice ever shared with me was:

From a wise friend of mine "Be the Best Town Clerk, that you can be"

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

Being your Town Clerk is not a job. It’s my privilege to be able to enable your participation in democracy, record the events of your lives, and help you engage with town government. I ask you to vote for me, Amy Warfield, on April 10.

Christopher Huffaker can be reached at 412-265-8353 or chris.huffaker@patch.com.