Stoughton Interim Town Clerk Picked For Official Role

STOUGHTON, MA —After two years as Stoughton's interim town clerk, the Select Board on Monday voted unanimously to officially give Stephanie Carrara the position.

Carrara has served as the interim town clerk since 2019 and has worked in the clerk's office since 2009.

Several Select Board members, including Bob O'Regan and Christine Howe, gave Carrara credit for handling the election process during the coronavirus pandemic. Howe said mail-in voting is likely to be a part of Massachusetts elections going forward, so her experience and past success with that are critical.

"If there's a clerk who can make it through 2020, you may want to hire that person," Howe said.

Carrara was a part of a field of three finalists for the position. The other two candidates were Rogeria Medeiros-Kowalzykowski and David Golden.

Medeiros-Kowalzykowski works as an assistant to Town Manager Robin Grimm. She originally was nominated for the role by Select Board member Debra Roberts. Roberts said she liked Mederios-Kowalzykowski's creativity and drive to modernize the office.

Mederios-Kowalzykowski was also lauded for her connections to the town's Portuguese community, and her ability to help people whose first language isn't English.

O'Regan then suggested expanding Mederios-Kowalzykowski's role in the town manager's office, so the town can benefit from both her and Carrara further. Roberts then withdrew her nomination, and Carrara was approved. She will take the role, pending contract approval.

Though the vote was 4-0, Select Board Member Steve Cavey recused himself because his opponent in the Stoughton Select Board race is Carrara's husband Scott.

Correction: A previous version of this story incorrectly said Cavey is Carrara's husband. Cavey's opponent in the upcoming Stoughton town election is Scott Carrara, the husband of Stephanie Carrara.