The primary objective of the vital records function of the department is to obtain and preserve documentary evidence concerning births, marriages and deaths that is necessary to protect the legal rights of individuals.

Municipal clerks file vital records for events which occur in the state of Maine. If a child is born in Maine, a copy of the birth certificate is filed in the town/city where the birth occurred, and the town/city where the mother resides. A death certificate is filed in the municipality where the death occurred, and the municipality where the deceased resided. A marriage license is filed where the bride and groom applied for the license. Note: All vital records are also filed with the State of Maine Office of Vital Records.

Birth certificates are necessary to enroll in school, apply for driver or marriage licenses, to secure a passport or travel visa, to participate in many athletic programs and to apply for social security and other public program benefits.

Death certificates are necessary for many critical legal functions, including burial procedures and the processing of insurance benefits, estate settlement, transfer of stocks, bonds, personal property and real estate.

For these reasons there is a continuous demand for certified copies of birth, marriage and death certificates in Ellsworth.

As Custodian of Records, the City Clerk’s Office serves as the official record filing center for all City resolutions, ordinances, contracts, minutes and documents adopted by the City Council. The Clerk handles requests for information regarding official City documents. Requests for copies of records shall be submitted in writing. Preservation of historical records is an on-going effort of the Department.

The chief monument to the history of a city is its public archives. Preservation of archives is universally recognized as a proper and natural function of government. Public records are public property, and stewardship over records is a government responsibility vital to the public trust. The City’s public records are owned by the people in the same sense that citizens own City Hall, the Public Library, the parks, the streets and sidewalks, the funds in the treasury.

The City’s archives, administered by the City Clerk’s Office, is charged by law with a special role in protecting and managing the recorded information of the City of Ellsworth. Like other public assets, the City’s records are held in trust for the citizens by custodians, that is, the heads of City departments.

In a very real sense, archives are the most important municipal asset of all. Archives and records are unique and irreplaceable and document the conduct of the people’s business, including the rights, privileges and property of individual citizens. Archives shed light on our experience as a government and a community, help us better understand our past successes and failures, and open a broad range of possibilities for planning better futures.

The Department is responsible for the preparation, reproduction, distribution and archiving of City Council agendas, agenda packet materials, documents and the official meeting minutes.

The City Clerk’s Office coordinates all election procedures on the municipal level for the federal and state elections. For every State or Federal election the Department is responsible for:

• Hiring and training election workers
• Coordinating the absentee ballot process
• Conducting absentee voting at the Ellsworth nursing homes
• Testing the electronic tabulation machines to ensure the proper programming of the machines
• Ensuring that all state statutes regarding election administration are complied with correctly.

For all municipal elections, the Department administers and coordinates every aspect of the election process, and the Department is additionally responsible for:

• Preparing nomination petitions
• Printing of ballots
• Preparation of all “closing of the polls” paperwork regarding final tabulation of election results and ballot security.

Overall, the main objective of the election administration function is to ensure a fair and impartial election process and to secure and protect the individual rights of every Ellsworth voter.

The City Clerk is the local recording officer for all filings and statements required by State Statutes regarding Campaign Finance Reports. This includes campaign contribution and expenditure reports from candidates for Mayor, City Council and School Board.

Hunting and fishing licenses for residents and non-residents of Maine may be purchased at the City Clerk’s office.

Per State Statutes, every owner of a dog 6 months of age or older shall license the dog with the City Clerk’s Office if the dog resides in Ellsworth.

The City Clerk’s Office works with various city departments such as Code Enforcement, Police and Fire to ensure the proper inspection and regulatory requirements are met prior to the City licensing certain businesses to operate in Ellsworth.

The Office maintains and updates the Official City Code of Ordinances which serve as the laws and regulations for the City of Ellsworth. All amendments to the Code are codified annually. In addition, the City maintains a Policy Manual of the city-wide policies that have been formally adopted by the City Council.