Town clerk transition moves ahead

June 12, 2026 | By Lisa Scagliotti 

Visitors to the town office this month may have already had a chance to meet Waterbury’s new Town Clerk Wesley Pollock.

Waterbury's Assistant Town Clerk Beth Jones served as interim clerk from January until June 3, when Wesley Pollock (right), began as the newly appointed town clerk to serve until next March. Photo by Gordon Miller

At its June 2 meeting, the Waterbury Select Board voted unanimously to appoint Pollock, a lawyer in private practice, to serve as town clerk until next Town Meeting Day in March 2027. Pollock applied for the position, which became available in April after an unusual set of circumstances played out from December through Town Meeting Day. 

The town clerk and treasurer roles in Waterbury have been in flux since January, after former clerk and treasurer Karen Petrovic resigned. No one filed to run for election to either office, and voters wrote in Petrovic’s name, earning her election to both former positions. After considering the unusual situation and communicating with the select board, Petrovic—who had taken a new job with the state—decided against returning.

The select board then put out a call for applicants to fill the clerk position by appointment. It had already appointed Bill Shepeluk, former town manager, as interim town treasurer. Shepeluk said he was willing to serve in that role until next March and the board formalized that appointment last month.

Pollock was the only clerk applicant whom the board interviewed. Board members said they received an additional application after their deadline, and they chose not to interview that individual. They did not disclose that applicant’s name. 

The board interviewed Pollock in executive session in a special meeting on May 15 with Board of Civil Authority Chair Liz Schlegel and utility district commission chair P. Howard “Skip” Flanders in attendance. They unanimously agreed to offer the position to Pollock pending reference and background checks and made that appointment official on June 2.

A practicing lawyer since 2017, Pollock moved to Waterbury a little over a year ago from Burlington. He holds a bachelor’s degree in physics from Cornell University and joined the Vermont Bar through the Law Office Study Program, an apprentice program and alternative to attending law school. 

He worked for the New York law firm Martin, Harding & Mazzotti, focusing on personal injury, workers’ compensation, and Social Security disability cases. In 2020, he moved to working for Pollock Law, a practice led by his father in Manchester, for which he continued to work on cases part-time recently. 

In stepping up for the role, Pollock said he considered it a good way to serve and get to know his new community. “It seems like a good public service role,” he said. 

Pollock’s partner is Erika Linskey, who joined the Waterbury town staff as recreation director at the start of 2026.

Pollock took the oath of office and began work as town clerk on June 3. Assistant Clerk Beth Jones, who served as the full-time interim clerk from January until June, administered the oath of office.

Wesley Pollock (right) takes the oath of office as Waterbury's new town clerk, administered on June 3 by Interim Town Clerk Beth Jones, who continues now as assistant clerk. Photo by Gordon Miller

Although Jones announced in December that she intended to retire this year, she put her plans on hold when the town clerk position became vacant. She was appointed as the full-time interim clerk, and former Barre City Clerk Carol Dawes was hired as a temporary assistant clerk from January until just after the March election.

Now, after spending five months in the full-time role, Jones said she is hoping to retire as soon as mid-July. That will depend on whether and when her successor is hired. Jones said she would prefer to step down knowing there was someone to hand off to. Woodruff said that there have been several applications for the part-time assistant town clerk position, which is hired, not elected. Several interviews are scheduled soon, he said. 

The town clerk transitions come during a busy election cycle between now and Town Meeting Day 2024. Pollock and a new assistant clerk will be key players along with the town’s Board of Civil Authority. The Vermont state primary is Aug. 11; the general election is Nov. 3. On Town Meeting Day, March 2, 2027, the three-year terms for both clerk and treasurer will be on the ballot.    

Woodruff noted that despite the various changes in the clerk and treasurer roles, the wages for those positions are aligned with what was budgeted for this year. Pollock’s compensation was set at just over $56,000, Woodruff said. In addition to part-time town treasurer duties, Shepeluk is also working part-time as treasurer for the Edward Farrar Utility District. Together, those responsibilities take about 10-12 hours per week at an hourly rate of $70. None of the clerk and treasurer positions are part of the municipal employee labor union contracts.