Community support emerges for Petrovic to return as town clerk

February 26, 2026  |  By Lisa Scagliotti

Former Town Clerk Karen Petrovic (right) and then-Assistant Town Clerk Beth Jones (left) work at the polls at the 2024 Town Meeting Day election. Jones is now serving as interim town clerk. Photo by Lisa Scagliotti

Former Waterbury Town Clerk and Treasurer Karen Petrovic shared a letter on Thursday thanking those who have been sending messages, both public and private, encouraging her to consider returning to the job she held since 2022. 

But Petrovic, who stepped down from her dual elected town offices on Jan. 2, says even though no candidates came forward to fill the year remaining on her unexpired term, she is not running for election.

Petrovic announced her resignation in December, explaining that her relationship with town officials had become strained over the past year and a half. She has since taken a new job working for the state of Vermont in Waterbury. 

“As many of you know, I stepped away from the role last year to pursue an opportunity with the State of Vermont. That decision was not made lightly. At the time, the position was having a negative impact on my family life, and I felt it was important to seek a fresh start and renewed professional fulfillment,” Petrovic writes in her letter. “I have not formally announced a campaign for election as Town Clerk, nor have I made any decisions about my future.”

Petrovic was one of about 10 town employees who departed in recent months, including the municipal manager, zoning administrator, recreation department staffers and the public library director. Reasons for the resignations varied, with some rooted in recent changes in employee benefits, followed by diminishing staff morale. Some of the vacancies have since been filled with new hires, but several key roles, including the municipal manager, library director and town clerk, all currently have staff who have assumed those duties in interim capacities. Town employees also recently successfully signed their first labor contract with the select board. 

In the case of the town clerk and treasurer roles, both have been filled with interim appointments. Former Assistant Town Clerk Beth Jones is serving as interim town clerk, and former Town Manager Bill Shepeluk has been appointed as interim town treasurer. Former Barre City Clerk Carol Dawes has also been hired temporarily to join Jones as an interim assistant clerk, particularly to assist with duties for the Town Meeting Day election on March 3. 

The town clerk and treasurer positions in Waterbury are elected local government roles. When the January filing deadline for candidates to run for election arrived, no one filed to seek the remaining year left on the clerk and treasurer positions that Petrovic previously held. Voters will see no name listed on those spots on the ballot, but there are spots for voters to write in a choice. 

In recent days, some community members have been sharing messages on social media and elsewhere suggesting voters write in Petrovic’s name for her former positions. 

In response to a candidate survey from the Waterbury Roundabout, select board candidate Sandy Sabin encourages readers to consider writing in Petrovic on the ballot. “We should never have lost her – she is a qualified, knowledgeable clerk, and we need her back. Please consider showing your support for Karen by asking her to return to her position through your write-in vote,” Sabin wrote.

On Wednesday, state Rep. Tom Stevens, D-Waterbury, posted on Front Porch Forum his support for several candidates on the ballot, along with Petrovic as a write-in for clerk. “Karen has grown in this job and is the linchpin for so much of the administrative and legal needs of the town. Returning her to her position is the right thing to provide stability for our town, which is especially needed at this time,” Stevens wrote. 

Petrovic said she’s seen some of the messages, and others have contacted her directly, asking and encouraging her to consider returning. In her letter and in an interview, she said she appreciates the support and confidence people are sharing. But she also emphasized that she has not made a decision to change jobs again. 

“There are many factors I need to consider,” she explained.

Election & appointment process

As for process, according to state law, for a write-in candidate to win election, they need to receive the most votes in a race, and the number of votes needs to be at least the same as the number of signatures they would have needed to have their name placed on the ballot for the election. In Waterbury’s case, that would be 30 votes, as candidates need signatures of 30 registered voters to get on the ballot. 

State law says that any winning candidate – write-in or otherwise – has 30 days from the election to take their oath of office. If a winning candidate does not take the oath within that time, the office is considered vacant. 

In the case of the clerk and treasurer offices, if no one is elected – or if a winning candidate declines to take the position – it would fall to the select board to advertise for applicants and to appoint a person or persons (they can be held by one or two individuals) to serve out the remaining year on the unexpired term that Petrovic previously held.  

Also, given that the offices are elected positions, Waterbury’s town clerk and treasurer answer only to the voters. For practical purposes, however, their wages and benefits are determined by the select board. 

Waterbury’s Select Board will soon be a nearly completely new group of people. With their terms ending next week, three current members – Chair Alyssa Johnson, Mike Bard and Tori Taravella – have chosen not to run for re-election, so their time on the board ends on March 3. A fourth member, Vice Chair Kane Sweeney, has announced plans to step down, given a new job he’s taken with the labor union now representing Waterbury municipal employees. 

In her letter, Petrovic notes the changes ahead in town leadership. For now, she says she’s not campaigning as a candidate, but she wants the community to know she appreciates the consideration directed her way. 

“I want you to know that your encouragement and support are deeply meaningful and will weigh strongly in any decision I may make moving forward,” she writes.