Murphy City Secretary Kandi Jackson. Courtesy photo
A city secretary is indeed a secretary — but so much more.
“Municipal clerks, city secretaries and administrative professionals who act as the cornerstone of efficient local government operations,” said the International Institute of Municipal Clerks in honor of the 57th annual Professional Municipal Clerks Week, observed May 3 through May 9.
In Murphy, that cornerstone is City Secretary Kandi Jackson.
Her job involves managing official records, coordinating public meetings to comply with state law and supporting elections.
She also swears in new city officials, codifies ordinances and resolutions, keeps track of contracts and responds to public information requests.
“My role as a city secretary ensures the city operates transparently, legally and efficiently,” Jackson says.
She came on board from Seagoville in 2023 to succeed City Secretary Susie Quinn.
Jackson earned a Bachelor of Science degree in business management and holds the Texas Registered Municipal Clerks certification.
She prepares and posts the agenda for Murphy City Council meetings, records the minutes and ensures documents and presentations are in order and then filed and preserved for future reference.
Candidates for elective office file with Jackson to run, they submit campaign finance reports to her and she conducts a drawing for the order in which names will appear on the ballot. She coordinates voting procedures with Collin County Elections and is responsible for submitting results to council for canvassing.
“The challenging part of voting [coordination] is encouraging voter turnout,” Jackson said.
In the just-ended general election for mayor, two seats on council and a sales tax proposition, the city had a turnout of 16.69% or 2,478 ballots out of 14,851 eligible registered voters.
The city secretary also responds to requests for public information. State law is specific as to what kinds of information is available and how rapidly it must be made available, even if the requester has trouble framing the question.
“Public information requests are hard when the requester isn’t clear about the information they are seeking,” she said.
Jackson also validates petitions such as the one seeking a local option election to allow package liquor stores in the city.
A municipal clerk may not attract public attention the way the mayor or councilmember does.
But Jackson said she has no reservation in recommending it as a career.
“You are entering a profession that quietly keeps local government functioning,” she would tell aspiring students. “The work may not always be highly visible, but it carries a great deal of trust and responsibility.”
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