Heidi Nehls named chief deputy clerk

STAR JOURNAL REPORT

The Oneida County clerk’s office has begun the new year with 100 percent staff turnover.

Tracy Hartman, the Crescent town clerk who was elected county clerk last November, began her new four-year term in office Tuesday when she selected Heidi Nehls, who was an economic support specialist in the county social services department, as the new chief deputy clerk.

Hartman replaces former county clerk Mary Bartelt, who decided not to seek re-election last year. Nehls replaces Melodie Gauthier, who retired as the chief deputy clerk last month.

The person Hartman defeated last year in the race for county clerk, deputy clerk/election specialist Kerri Ison, has also left the county clerk’s office to begin a position as an account technician with the county public health department.

County human resources director Lisa Charbarneau said the deputy clerk/election specialist position remains vacant, leaving the county clerk’s office with only two out of its authorized three full-time positions filled.

Charbarneau said the vacancy in the county clerk’s office will be referred to the Administration Committee, which next meets Monday.

When Hartman campaigned for county clerk last year, she called for reducing the third full-time position in the office to a part-time position as a cost-savings measure.