City Clerk & Community Relations Department

The Municipal Clerk is the oldest public servant position in American government history. The City Clerk is the legal custodian of official city records and is the filing agency for numerous reports and documents such as oaths, bonds, council nomination papers and candidate financial reports. The Clerk's Office drafts the City Council agendas, records the proceedings and prepares the minutes for the City Council meetings among other duties prescribed by law. The position is central to government transparency because the clerk is responsible for keeping and making official records and legislation accessible to city residents. Clerks also play an important role in the system of checks and balances by offering perspectives, policies, and opinions that are independent from other municipal offices. The Clerk is legally responsible for licensing and elections. The Clerk is also a member of the Municipal Board of Review.

The Community Relations is a division within the City Clerk's Office that administers public information programs, news and media relations. This division also manages City publications, and a community relations component aimed at strengthening ties with City employees, the media, and the City of New Berlin residents. An important component of the City Clerk & Community Relations Department is communicating with New Berlin residents through various social media platforms, the electronic Newsletter New Berlin Notes, and news releases regularly distributed to the media about new City activities, programs, and developments.