By Philip Sean Curran, Staff Writer
Municipal clerk Linda McDermott will retire from the town in December after 28 years, officials announced this week.
Ms. McDermott first started working for the then-Princeton Township in 1988 as the deputy clerk and eventually made her way to the top job. She said Tuesday that she had made up her mind over the summer that it was time for her to move on.
She said she intends to continue working and be involved in other things. She will leave in the middle of December and use up vacation time, according to the town.
Mayor Liz Lempert broke the news about her retirement at the council meeting on Monday night, her last one as clerk. She took her customary spot on the end of the dais, and sat through a final meeting that lasted nearly four hours.
In finding a replacement, the town would do an internal search first, said municipal administrator Marc D. Dashield on Tuesday. Councilwoman Jo S. Butler said Tuesday that she thought there already are two qualified candidates who work in Ms. McDermott’s office.
A job posting in the municipal building went up Tuesday, and the application deadline is Oct.7. The salary range is $80,000 to $105,000.
Mr. Dashield said he anticipates the town hiring someone later this year, to start in January. The winning candidate will get an initial three-year-appointment, he said.
