Poland Town Clerk Judy Akers, who has served in that position for 46 years, was recently honored by the Maine Municipal Association. Daryn Slover/Sun Journal
POLAND — Public service is in Town Clerk Judy Akers’ blood.
Honored recently at the 86th Maine Municipal Association Annual Convention, Akers received the prestigious 2022 Ethel N. Kelley Award.
The honor is bestowed on individuals for their significant service at the municipal government and community levels.
In her acceptance speech, Akers noted that her family, including a grandfather, her parents, and two uncles, have dedicated over 200 years of service in various departments to the town of Poland.
Akers is in her 46th year of service, beginning in 1976 when her former cheerleading coach told her she should apply for the town clerk’s position, which had unexpectedly opened up.
Pat Nash, who urged Akers to apply, served on various Poland community leadership positions over 40 years, including the Select Board.
Akers recalled Nash saying, “I know you could do the job, I know you could.”
Nash may have noticed some measure of durability then in the 19-year-old Akers, an Oxford High School graduate.
Akers said that in 1976 town offices were in the small building in the center of town that today houses the office of Poland’s Androscoggin County Sheriff’s Office detachment.
There was only one phone line then.
Judy Akers holds the award she was recently given by the Maine Municipal Association for her many years of service as Poland town clerk. Daryn Slover/Sun Journal
The full-time administrative staff numbered three in 1976: Akers, Town Manager Richard Chick and bookkeeper H. Priscilla Waterhouse.
Akers said people often had to wait in line outside before transacting business inside.
After her first week as town clerk, Chick left for Army Reserve exercises.
Waterhouse pitched in to guide her but Akers said she still developed a case of hives after that trial-by-fire period.
Akers recalled that the Select Board and assessors met in the Chick’s office at the back of the building.
One assessor, Akers said, utilized an abacus when determining property assessments.
A striking difference between then and now, Akers said, is how technology has changed the method of doing town business.
Manual typewriters, the mimeograph machine, adding machine with the pull handle and handwriting checks were the devices and practices which were applied.
And figuring the numbers in the head often came into play as well.
Although computer technology has changed the method of calculations and providing information faster, the personal touch is still an important aspect of the job.
Since she began, Akers has maintained to “treat everybody the same . . . to let them know they are not just another face.”
She stresses the notion in dealing with people “that we need to appreciate them so they appreciate us.”
The town clerk office now includes two deputy clerks as well as Akers, and the atmosphere needs to be friendly.
“I’ll have people that will say never have they been treated as well as we have treated them here,” she said.
She adds, “Some people from away arrive with their noses in the air . . . then after they’ve been here for a while they see and they get the feel of a community feeling . . . they’re much nicer.”
Akers said though she has had some good years in Poland, “I’ve had some hard years here.”
The hard years being when members of the Select Board were recalled in 2013, the financial crisis involving Tax Increment Financing funds, and going through the turnover of several town managers.
Akers also spoke of concerns with continuing changes in state procedures and policies.
That takes a toll on all town administrations throughout the state, she said, pointing out the recent tax stabilization measure, which puts a tremendous load on town clerks to verify the information on submitted applications.
Akers said legislators don’t seem to consider the effect that some laws have on the towns.
She feels legislators are making all these laws and dumping it back onto the towns to do all the work.
“Municipal government must have consistency,” she said. “Once you lose that, then a lot of things fall to the wayside.”
When a change in town leadership occurs, Akers said municipal employees are often asked “Can you tell me how did we get to where we are?”
And the good municipal employees will share what they know.
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