By Cynthia Whitty

After 18 years of service to the town, Tara Ward will retire as Ashland’s Town Clerk on March 31. Ward presided over 91 elections and 44 town meetings during her tenure. Her office experienced one audit (recount) during the 2020 state election; the report found the numbers to be precise.

“Tara has been a treasured and esteemed member of the Ashland team for 18 years, and her daily presence will be greatly missed by colleagues and residents alike,” Town Manager Michael Herbert wrote in a press release. “. . . We will miss her approachable dedication to this vital work, and extend our best wishes as she begins this next chapter in her life.”

The Vital Role of the Town Clerk

The town clerk is central to the running of the town and wears many hats. Ward serves as a Notary Public, Justice of the Peace, Commissioner to Qualify, Board of Registrar, Burial Agent, Parking Clerk, Public Records Access officer, and Chief Election Official. The town clerk is the Vital Records Administrator and the Chief Liaison for the Local Updated of Census Addresses. In addition, she is the keeper of town records, the Ashland Town Seal, and Boston Post Cane.

“Every public meeting as well as minutes of such must be posted through this office,” Ward said. “Every Open Meeting Complaint comes through me. I also enforce our Town Charter, the laws and policies that make up our local municipal government. I interact with every office in the town. I also interact with local, state, and federal officials. I answer not only to the town manager but also to Secretary of State William Francis Galvin regarding elections.”

Ward said she enjoys “the accomplished feeling of preserving the town records for future generations. My name is on the inside covers of each book. I particularly enjoy the fact that I hold my grandmother’s birth certificate as she was born in the Town of Ashland and my grandparent’s marriage certificate. As well as my great grandparents, and my daughters’ marriage certificate. This gives me such a warm feeling knowing that I am the keeper of these records.”

Ward also enjoys researching town records, “both for genealogy purposes and to assist the Town with anything they are looking for.”

Work of the Town Clerk Has Changed Dramatically Over the Years

“Elections have certainly changed since I was involved back at the age of nine when my Dad ran for local office in Framingham and throughout my career,” Ward noted. “I was an elected town meeting member in Framingham for 15 years, so I was able to see firsthand how the system works.”

“The election process has recently become politically charged, and that makes it a challenge when you have to remain neutral in all aspects of the election process. It is a monumental undertaking to administer elections while maintaining a strict balance of being non-partisan. Some [officials] find that elections offer no filter for the citizen’s they must interact with.”

“I encourage all registered voters to be able to participate in the election process. There are new ways of achieving this such as no excuse vote by mail, absentee voting, early voting, or in-person voting on Election Day. It truly is a lot of extra work for the election commissioners. However, it gives hope to the voter that they can make a difference.”

The Town Google, Trained to Help

What does she wants Ashland residents to know about the town clerk’s office? Ward said, “We [town clerk’s office] are affectionately referred to as the Town Google.” 

She added, “We ask that you just be kind. We are here to help you. Every single one of you will at some time over the course of your life have to interact with the Town Clerk’s Office. Be willing to listen, as we are trained to help you. Nearly every record for the Town has passed through this office. It is quite the responsibility to keep these records.”

In her retirement, Ward is looking forward to spending time with her family. “When I did the math, I have been working since I was 16 years old. That doesn’t count babysitting or my paper route or working at a nursing home, the Cancer Center or when I was Park leader. I worked all through my daughter’s childhood, and now I look forward to spending time with my grandson, Grant Martin Craven, who is 10 years old as well as with my 91-year-old mother, Barbara Waugh Ford, and the rest of my family and my friends. I am also planning to write a book. I have been writing stories since I can remember. And I am looking forward to visiting the ocean as much as possible to drink in the tranquility of it.”

“I am very grateful for all the opportunities that I have been given as well as the years I have been able to help others. Now it’s time for me to begin a new chapter. This is very exciting for me, and I am very grateful that God has given me the courage to take the time to enjoy my life with my loved ones.”