Tara Coolidge was confirmed by the Racine Common Council Tuesday evening as the next City Clerk.
Coolidge had served as Deputy City Clerk for several years; after the retirement of the previous clerk, the position sat vacant for about a year.
“Tara has shown her dedication to the residents of Racine with her innovative approach to running elections. This November we saw a record number of voters turn out for the mid-terms and she was able to expand access and recruit new talent to serve as poll workers,” said Mayor Cory Mason. “While we did conduct a nationwide search to fill the position, we were able to find the best candidate right here at home.”
A nationwide search was conducted for the position resulting in more than 25 applicants from across the nation. After a thorough review process was conducted by senior city staff, a single candidate was selected for appointment by the Mayor.
De facto clerk brought more ballot box access
Coolidge served as the de facto City Clerk and pushed for more access to the ballot box during elections. Under Coolidge’s leadership, Racine expanded in-person voting hours during the week, as well as expanded hours and satellite locations for weekend voting. Coolidge also worked with educational institutions to recruit high school juniors and seniors to serve as poll workers, providing real world experience in the electoral process.
“It is an honor to be selected to serve the City of Racine as City Clerk,” said Coolidge. “As our City continues to grow and seizes on the opportunities before us, the Clerk’s office will strive to provide first class customer service, transparency and accountability with public records, and vows to continue the expansion of access to the ballot box during elections.”