City Clerk

Welcome!
As a service oriented sector of your local government, the City Clerk Department assists and supports the public and departments by making available the records necessary for the City to advance its administrative, legal, and legislative functions.

What is the City Clerk?
The municipal clerk, along with the tax collector, is the oldest of public servants. City Clerks can be traced to biblical times and before. Ancient Greece had a city clerk who read official documents publicly. The early keepers of the archives were often called remembrancers and before writing came into use, their memory was the public record. When the early colonists came to America, the office of clerk was one of the first established to act as a recorder. Over the years, municipal clerks have become the hub of government and the historian of the community - for the entire recorded history of the town and its people is in the clerk's care. In California, there are two ways to become a City Clerk. One is to be elected by the voters of the community and the other is to be appointed by the City Council or City Manager (La Habra's City Clerk, Tamara D. Mason, is appointed). In order for the office to be appointed, the question must be at sometime put to a vote of the people.

What does the City Clerk do?
Council Meetings: The Clerk's Office coordinates the preparation and distribution of official City Council Agendas and Minutes, legal and legislative documents. Hard copies of the Agendas, Minutes and agenda reports are available at City Hall and at the La Habra Public Library. The City Council meets the 1st and 3rd Monday of every month. Council Agendas are posted 72 hours prior to meeting. The City of La Habra City Council Meeting Procedures brochure contains basic information regarding the City Council and public meeting process, however, it is not a complete account of the La Habra Municipal Code requirements or State Law.

Public Records: The City Clerk is the custodian of many public records of the City, including ordinances, resolutions, minutes of the City Council, agreements, election-related documents, campaign disclosure filings, statements of economic interest, and many others. If you would like to request a copy of these types of public records, please complete a Public Record Request Form.

Elections: As the Chief Election Officer, it is the duty of the City Clerk to conduct Municipal Elections in accordance with the La Habra's City Code, the Elections Code, and the Political Reform Act of 1974. General municipal elections are held in November of the even number years. The City Clerk coordinates Fair Political Practices Commission filings, including the Statement of Economic Interests and Campaign Disclosures.

La Habra City Municipal Code: The La Habra Municipal Code contains all City laws and regulations. Ordinances are approved by the City Council and are codified into the code. The Municipal Code and Ordinances that have not yet been codified may be accessed here.

Commission/Committee Recruitment: The City Clerk Department coordinates the recruitment process for the City's Planning Commission, the Community Services Commission, and the Beautification Committee. Vacancy notices are posted at city hall, at the library, online and published in local news newspaper. Applications must be submitted by an established deadline and may be accompanied by a resume.

Other Duties: The City Clerk administers oaths of office, attests and seals official documents, receives and files petitions, appeals, claims, subpoenas and summons, and lawsuits against the City, a acts as filing officer for California Fair Political Practices Commission, and is responsible for the City's Records Management Program, legislative history, contracts, bids, archives, election activities and Boards/Commissions/Committees programs. Staff is dedicated to providing citizens responsible, professional and accessible service. For questions or assistance, please contact the City Clerk Department. The City Clerk Department is open from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Select Fridays.

Contact the City Clerk at:
City of La Habra  ♦  City Clerk Department
201 East La Habra Boulevard  ♦  La Habra, CA 90631
Telephone: (562) 905-9701  ♦  Fax: (562) 905-9781  ♦  www.lahabracity.com

Tamara D. Mason, City Clerk (MMC)  ♦  Laurie Swindell, Deputy City Clerk/Records Manager  ♦  Maritza C. Sanchez, City Clerk Specialist

Additional Topics of "City Clerk":

• Agendas & Minutes
• Public Official Appointments
• General Election Information
• Municipal Code
• Voter Registration Information
• Ticket Distribution Policy
• Forms