Name: Theresa (Terri) Colbert Tauro
How long have you lived in Marblehead? I am sixth generation, but I did not move to Marblehead until I was 3 months old and have been here ever since.
Profession: Office manager/senior clerk 2 for the Marblehead Harbormaster
Elected and appointed positions held:
Elected to: Marblehead Housing Authority, vice chair; Marblehead Municipal Employees Union president, vice president and recording secretary; AFL-CIO North Shore Labor Council executive board; Marblehead Democratic Town Committee and its executive board.
Appointed to: Marblehead Housing Authority for my first two years; MHA resident outreach subcommittee; Massachusetts AFL-CIO Women’s Committee,;HAWC labor liaison.
1. What is your vision for the Town Clerk’s Office, and how does it differ from the current administration?
I see an open and responsive office with new energy. I will upgrade systems and procedures with service, accessibility and cooperation being the core values. Our Town Clerk’s Office needs to be the face of the town and should always strive to improve resident and visitor experience. I will work with the Select Board and grant coordinator to find funds to upgrade software, digitize documents and update the vaults where precious old documents are kept. The Town Clerk’s Office needs to consistently evolve, taking advantage of technology while maintaining a small-town, friendly environment. Change for the sake of change is not what I suggest. Change for the betterment of the town and its residents just takes passion, hard work and a willingness to keep learning and improving.
2. What strategies would you employ to increase community engagement and awareness of the services offered by the Town Clerk’s Office?
I will update the Town Clerk webpage regularly with important dates and deadlines. I will create a social media presence and an email outreach system to alert and remind residents of the same. Residents and potential visitors need to be able to look online to see fees, dates and procedures. Information should be available at all times, not just during office hours. I plan to serve in an advisory capacity on boards and committees. I will use improved communication to encourage and help residents navigate ways to serve on a board or committee or run for elected office. I will also be available to register voters and answer questions on nights and weekends upon request at community events and by checking emails outside regular office hours. I will review the fee structure for residents vs. nonresidents, veterans and seniors.
3. How do you plan to increase voter engagement in Marblehead, particularly among younger residents and underrepresented groups? What initiatives would you introduce to encourage higher voter turnout?
I have already spoken to the MEA and the School Committee about going to the high school and preregistering 16+ year olds that can vote when they are 18. I would also like to have some of those students be poll volunteers, partnered with our experienced poll workers to share knowledge. My plan is to have regular highschool school volunteers accompany me in bringing free voter registration to night and weekend events upon request. Improved communication can be used to GOTV and encourage residents to serve on board and committees. I would like to hold early in-person voting for local elections on weekends at additional locations like the Brown School because of its ample parking and accessibility for people with mobility issues. If we can provide accessible in person voting, we may be able to keep our historical polling locations on Election Day. We had one of the highest voter turnouts in the state for the 2024 presidential election at 80% with over 20% using early in-person voting. I would like to give options to voters and will work diligently to get the necessary funding. The Town Clerk’s office, Town Meeting and polling locations need to be a safe space and accessible to everyone. We will need the legislature to cooperate, but I plan to take steps to be ready for a possible hybrid open town meeting in the near future.
4. Incumbent Town Clerk Robin Michaud brings nearly two decades of experience to the role, including overseeing elections, managing historical records and implementing technological advancements in the office. Given the breadth of responsibilities and institutional knowledge required for this position, how does your professional background prepare you to meet these demands from day one?
I have 15 years of municipal experience as a high level clerk, 13 as a municipal union leader and been involved in local and state elections for decades. I have served on the Marblehead Housing Authority as vice chair and am also ups for re-election to that position. My Harbor office has continually evolved with technological advancements, services provided, improved communications and transparency. I am more than capable of handling the administrative duties of this position and there are 2 extremely knowledgeable and experienced employees in the office. Those employees belong to the union I have represented and we have a good relationship already. Yes, experience matters, but it needs to be accompanied by enthusiasm, hard work and the ability to evolve while opening your eyes and ears to new ideas. I am passionate about going the extra mile. The Marblehead Town Clerk is accountable to the voters alone and the position is up for election every 3 years. Marbleheaders deserve a tenacious, passionate person in this position. The choice is yours alone … do you want status quo or do you want exceptional? I ask for your vote on June 10th because I will strive for exceptional.
