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Replacement Nominated For Retiring City Clerk

WAMC

One of the busiest city clerk’s offices in New England will be under new leadership after the first of the year.

Springfield, Massachusetts City Clerk Wayman Lee, who was the first black to serve as city clerk when he was appointed in 2006, is retiring after a municipal government career that started in 1988 when he began working for the city as an associate city solicitor.

" It has been a great run,"  Lee said. " I love this city."

Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno said Lee has done an outstanding job and has been a “tested and true” city employee. 

The Springfield City Clerk’s office keeps hundreds of thousands of municipal records. Lee said the office annually issues 500 birth certificates, 1,000 marriage licenses, 2,000-3,000 death certificates, and is responsible for processing city ordinances, permits and financial transfers.

" We do over $1 million in  cash revenue for the city on an annual basis, so we are pretty busy," said Lee.

Sarno nominated Associate City Solicitor Anthony Wilson to be the next city clerk. Sarno praised Wilson’s work for the city and said he has the traits needed to be city clerk.

" I have come to really respect his keen intellect, and he is very personable," said Sarno.

Wilson, a graduate of Suffolk University Law School, joined the city’s Law Department in 2012. He’s been responsible for seeing that the city is in compliance with state and federal contracts and grant awards. He’s also represented the city in litigation in U.S. District Court, the First Circuit Court of Appeals and the Massachusetts Superior Court.

Wilson said the position of city clerk is a wonderful opportunity.

" I am flattered and honored, " Wilson said of his nomination to be city clerk.  " It means things you are doing are being noticed and he city is taking notice of the people working hard and diligently to serve the public."

He said he intends to further modernize the city clerk’s office to better serve the public

   City Councilor Melvin Edwards praised Sarno’s nomination of Wilson.

"This is a non-controversial appointment," said Edwards. 

For the last two years, Wilson has been legal advisor to the city council.  The city clerk serves as clerk to the city council, recording all votes.

The record-setting tenure of Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno. The 2011 tornado and its recovery that remade the largest city in Western Massachusetts. The fallout from the deadly COVID outbreak at the Holyoke Soldiers Home. Those are just a few of the thousands and thousands of stories WAMC’s Pioneer Valley Bureau Chief Paul Tuthill has covered for WAMC in his nearly 17 years with the station.
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