NORTHAMPTON — Robert Driscoll has had a longtime interest in American history and government. Now, the Holyoke history teacher and lifelong city resident wants to begin a career in public service by persuading voters to elect him city clerk.
“I’m committed to the city,” Driscoll said. “I’m passionate about this position.”
Both of Driscoll’s parents served as city employees — his mother in the city clerk’s office and his father as a deputy fire chief. Additionally, his grandmother was involved with a number of political campaigns, and helped teach him about the importance of politics.
“Public service has always been something that I’ve thought about doing,” he said.
Driscoll, who will be 42 on Friday, noted that while he had considered running for office in the past, it had never been the right time. He said his work in elections and genealogy made him interested in the city clerk’s position.
The city clerk oversees three other employees. The office is responsible for administering elections, and maintaining everything from dog licenses to business documents to birth, death and marriage records. It has a budget of $266,000.
In addition to having taught for 20 years, Driscoll serves as the ward clerk for precinct 2A, and has been an election worker there for 14 years. He got his undergraduate degree from Westfield State College, as well as his master’s in education with a concentration in history.
Driscoll said he has not reviewed all of the state statutes pertaining to the city clerk’s job. However, he said that his education will allow him to learn what he needs to, and that he is already familiar with a lot of the clerk’s duties.
“I may not be familiar with every aspect of it, but I think I can pick up on it very quickly,” he said.
Driscoll has some high-profile backers in the city’s three previous clerks: Wendy Mazza, who retired this year, Christine Skorupski, who left office in 2004, and Adeline Murray, who stepped down in 1990.
“I think they know that I would take the job seriously,” Driscoll said. “They know that I have the skills and the ability to do the job.”
Mazza cited Driscoll’s passion, integrity and Northampton background when asked about her endorsement, saying, “He’s not there just for the paycheck.
“I believe that the citizens of Northampton would be best served by Mr. Driscoll,” said Mazza, who criticized his opponent, interim City Clerk Pamela Powers, for leaving her post as assistant city clerk to take the higher-paying job of clerk of the city council in 2014.
Driscoll has hands-on experience with the historical records the city clerk’s office manages, having used them for genealogical research and his senior thesis in college, which was on Northampton politics. He said some of these records date back to the 1600s, and he would like to do more to preserve them.
“I think the old records are fascinating to look at,” he said, noting the beauty of the penmanship that some display.
Driscoll said he’d like to get Community Preservation Act money, or use state or federal grants, to support preservation efforts. He also said he would like to see more records, historical and otherwise, put online.
Elections are a key purview of the city clerk’s office, and Driscoll said more should be done to get people registered to vote. He spoke about reaching out to community organizations and working with schools to increase voter registration.
Asked for how long he wanted to serve in the city clerk’s office, Driscoll said he would like to do the job for the foreseeable future.
He also said he’s not ruling out running for another office in the future.
“I would say one step at a time,” he said. “Not closing any doors.”