Township clerks pass muster

by Karin L. Nauber
INH Staff Writer

Township government has been referred to as one of the most efficient forms of government. In fact, in 2005, former State Auditor Pat Anderson stated in her annual report on township finances that, "According to our report, Minnesota's townships continue to be in excellent fiscal health. This is especially noteworthy because of all local governments in the state, townships are the most self-sufficient, relying the least on aid from the federal or state governments."
We may not give our most local form of government much thought unless a road isn't plowed or graded or if we notice an increase in our taxes, but these officials do keep our townships running smoothly.
This is due, in part, to the dedicated efforts of the township clerk.
Each township has a clerk whose duties include keeping the minutes of the monthly and special meetings, answering questions from citizens and turning in annual reports.
Iris Hegseth has been the clerk for Iona Township for six years.
"I started when Vernon Holmquist retired and he talked me into it," she said.
Iona Township is noted for the distinction of having the lowest township levy in the county.
"We try to keep it low and do the most we can with it," said Hegseth.
They have approximately 190 registered voters, although the population is larger than that.
"We have a large population of Amish people who do not vote," explained Hegseth.
Barb Johnson has been the clerk for Aldrich Township for 12 years. She was appointed to the position because the former clerk resigned.
Aldrich Township had 415 citizens representing 159 households in 2008.
As it is with Iona Township and probably all townships for that matter, the amount of time Johnson spends on the job depends on the demands of that month.
"When we do the year end reports and the February audit, it takes longer than other months," said Johnson.
Another time of the year when more time must be devoted to the job is during elections.
"We have to make sure everything is in place. We work with the county on letting them know who is running for office. We have to make sure we have the ballots and roster and voting machine," Hegseth said.
For Iona Township getting ready for an election also means remembering to order a porta-potty as their site does not have restroom facilities at this time.
The clerk often serves as the head election judge for their township as well.
The day to day tasks also keep the clerks busy from keeping the ledgers on incoming and outgoing funds to putting notices of the meetings and other legal happenings in the newspaper.
The clerks handle quarterly reports as well as making sure the records match up with the treasurer's records.
Johnson said that she feels fortunate that no major challenges have occurred since she has been clerk.
"Personally, I haven't had a lot of problems doing this job. A challenge would come if there were unhappy residents--unhappy with something the township had done," Johnson said.
Hegseth said that her biggest challenge initially was in remembering the timeline of her job duties.
The Township Association has a calendar that gives the dates of when certain reports are due. "The first year it was like a bible to me," she said.
"It helped that I also do our business bookwork and church finances. I had also been the treasurer for Turtle Creek Township for four years," she added.
Having served another township, Hegseth said she saw big differences in the operation of the townships.
"Turtle Creek had more lakes with people who didn't live in the township all year around. There were different expectations," she said.
"When you depend on yourself, you just do it," said Johnson in regard to the paperwork that follows the job.
She said that a regular month doesn’Äôt take a lot of time, but if there is a problem that arises she has spent quite a bit of time doing research or talking to lawyers to get answers if she or a supervisor doesn't know the answer.
Both Johnson and Hegseth appreciate the willingness of the Township Association to answer questions that arise from time to time.
Both of them also attend annual training to find out any new rules which govern their jobs and new law changes they need to be aware of among other things.
They also attend other training that comes up if it is pertinent to the township.
From the minute to the major, township clerks have helped make township government one of the most efficient forms of government.

Photos:

Top: Iris Hegseth has been the Iona Township clerk in Todd County for 6 years.

Bottom: Barb Johnson has been the Aldrich Township clerk in Wadena County for 12 years.