WILDWOOD – The City of Wildwood announced the appointment of Lisa Brown as the new city clerk, as City Clerk Christopher Wood retired effective May 1.
Raised in Wildwood, Brown is a 1999 graduate of Wildwood High School and the daughter of former Police Chief William Fisher. She maintains a deep affection for the town.
“I hold Wildwood very near and dear to my heart. It’s a very tight, close-knit community, and I want to continue to work here,” she said.
Brown said in her 21 years with the city, she has sometimes received job offers from other municipalities, but she preferred to stay and raise her children in Wildwood.
Brown studied for a while at Atlantic Cape Community College before going to work at the law office of attorney Paul Baldini. She was hired by the City of Wildwood Oct. 28, 2002, and began working under former Municipal Clerk Patricia Rhodes. Wood was hired about three years later.
Brown was to remain the deputy registrar of vital statistics until Wood retired. She currently holds certifications as a registered municipal clerk and registrar of vital statistics. She said it was her father who encouraged her to pursue her certification.
She said one of the most notable elements of being the city clerk is that the office works with every department in the city.
“We physically touch every department in the city – zoning, the fire official, code enforcement…” she said. “We are in constant communication with every office.”
When asked about how the work in the office has changed, Brown said there have been several changes; however, a lot of things remain the same.
As the interview was going on, a gentleman stopped in to pay a bill with cash. Brown said there are several people who still opt to pay cash rather than add a nearly 3% credit card charge to their bill.
The Clerk’s Office handles all the licensing for the city and there is a definite uptick in business during the summer months. Liquor licenses must be paid, or transferred, dumpers related to home renovations need permits, businesses change hands and must be recorded, and there are new rental homes coming on the market each summer, with much of this creating new accounts.
“You would be surprised how much property turnover there is in town,” Brown said.
The City of Wildwood also issues parking meter permits.
“Parking meter permits are a big thing,” she said. “It’s golden not to have to worry about parking meters.”
Brown said this is what she likes the most – dealing with the people who stop in. At the same time, she is “comfortable working in the shadows” at municipal meetings. Generally, a city clerk has little to no input in the meetings other than reading resolutions and calling for a vote.
Brown said she was recently approached by the city administrator and the human resources department and told that they wanted to appoint her to the position of city clerk.
She said she was very happy with the appointment, adding she is happy the current administration has the confidence in her to offer the three-year appointment.
She said after completing that term, she would have tenure, which, again, suits her fine. She said she plans to retire at age 55.
“That will be in 13 summers,” she said.
Contact the author, Christopher South, at csouth@cmcherald.com.
