Manager/Secretary

Myerstown Borough Secretary
In Myerstown Borough, the Office of Secretary is held by the Borough Manager, who is appointed by Council.  Myerstown also appoints a Deputy Secretary to carry out the duties of Secretary in the Borough Manager's absence.

Office of the Secretary

A Borough Secretary is an appointed position that is required in every borough and is defined in the Borough Code.  The Secretary is charged with responsibility for taking minutes of all public meetings of borough council; recording and certifying ordinances; attesting to the execution of documents; and is the custodian of borough records and the borough seal.

The Borough Secretary is both an employee of the borough and a municipal officer.  A municipal officer is one who occupies a permanent position of trust and responsibility with definite powers and duties.  The Secretary is appointed by Borough Council for an indefinite term, and serves at the pleasure of Council.  Like all municipal officers, the Secretary must swear or affirm to support, obey and defend both federal and state constitutions and exercise the duties of office with fidelity.

As a municipal officer, the Borough Secretary possesses only the authority and powers conferred by state law and local ordinances.  The secretary's duties are both ministerial and discretionary.  Ministerial duties are those mandated by law or ordinance.  When a statute or ordinance requires the secretary to record and preserve the minute and ordinance books, file oaths of public officers, or submit reports to state agencies by a specified date, the secretary has no choice but to so.  Discretionary duties are those where the secretary may exercise judgment in deciding the course of action.