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22-year-old Vallieres says he’s ready to take over as North Adams city clerk after consecutive resignations

A white man with glasses, pierced ears and dark hair wearing a black collared shirt under a beige sweater
Josh Vallieres
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www.facebook.com/JoshVforNA
Josh Vallieres.

The new permanent city clerk of North Adams, Massachusetts was sworn in this week. He’s the third person to hold the job this year.

Josh Vallieres, 22, has worked in city hall for the past two months — first as assistant city clerk, and then as acting city clerk.

“I went in there, initially, and I didn't really- I'm not going to say that I wasn't ready," he told WAMC. "I felt going in, I wanted to be prepared for anything that can come into the office. It started out, initially, you want to know everything. But, you know, a lot of it's a whole learning experience, and it's really being prepared for anything that walks through that door, and being able to solve the problems, because, you know, really anybody in that office- There's so much to learn on a moment's basis.”

A North Adams school committee member, the city native made waves in 2021 by running for mayor while still a junior at the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts. He spoke to WAMC in April of that year.

“We can take precedent from Holyoke Mayor Alex Morse, who around the same age, 21 years old, ran for mayor without any prior electoral experience, and I really want to show that young people can be just as efficient," said Vallieres. "I think that there's a deeply held problem in not only just the city, the state, but the national level, of ageism. And young people can do the job too. It’s public service for a reason. I think that going for it, I really want to prove that to people, and encourage young people to run for public office or even just being involved in the political process.”

Vallieres ended up swapping his mayoral bid for a successful school committee run, endorsing Lynette Bond in the mayoral contest ultimately won by Jennifer Macksey.

Now, he finds himself in a role held in quick succession by Cathleen King and Marcus Lyon — both of whom resigned from the job this year within weeks of taking it.

“It's a moment by moment basis kind of thing," he said. "There's the daily work, and then there's just a lot of outreach to, you know, former city clerks. I'm in contact with the Registry of Vital Records and Statistics a lot. There's a lot of phone calling to Boston for information, and especially with the elections coming up, I think that'll be a beneficial resource.”

The 6-2 council vote to appoint Vallieres to the role was accompanied by protest from a vocal minority on the city council – Marie Harpin and Jennifer Barbeau – who raised questions about both the search process and his qualifications for the job.

“I feel confident in the resources that I have," said the new city clerk. "I mean, I'm gathering, you know, I went to a conference in Plymouth to really get me up to date with the information that's necessary. And so, anything that I really don't know, I have a variety of clerks and a variety of people who have worked elections before that I can lean back on for resources. So I feel pretty confident in my approach.”

Some on the council, including Vice President Peter Oleskiewicz, allege that Harpin and Barbeau are the reason for the departure of King and Lyon.

A year after seeking the corner office through the ballot box, Vallieres has found a less direct and rare opportunity to take a prominent role in the North Adams government.

“I'm just really glad to be here. I mean, honestly, I wouldn't have dreamed of the city clerk job, but it is- I really like it. You know, I was a history major initially in college," Vallieres told WAMC. "And, you know, the record keeping aspect is just so much fun. I really enjoy it. There's a lot of history there in those vaults.”

Josh Landes has been WAMC's Berkshire Bureau Chief since February 2018, following stints at WBGO Newark and WFMU East Orange. A passionate advocate for Western Massachusetts, Landes was raised in Pittsfield and attended Hampshire College in Amherst, receiving his bachelor's in Ethnomusicology and Radio Production. His free time is spent with his cat Harry, experimental electronic music, and exploring the woods.
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