Welcome to the North Carolina Association of Municipal Clerks

PURPOSE:


The North Carolina Certified Municipal Clerks program is a voluntary accreditation program for North Carolina municipal clerks. It was initiated under the sponsorship of the North Carolina Association of Municipal Clerks and in cooperation with the School of Government of The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. This program is designed as an alternative to the Certified Municipal Clerk and Master Municipal Clerk program sponsored by the International Institute of Municipal Clerks (IIMC); however, municipal clerks will still have the option of participating in the IIMC programs.

An effort to design such a program evolved from the realization that municipal clerks wanted educational and professional growth, but limited budgets and reduced staff placed a hardship on the municipalities.

COMPOSITION:

The State Certification Committee will be comprised of a representative from each of the four regions and one at large member appointed by the Board of Directors. The diversity of the membership should include small, medium and large-size municipalities. The First Vice- President, Second Vice-President, and School of Government Advisor shall serve as ex-officios. The Immediate Past President shall serve as advisor to the committee.

RESPONSIBILITY:

The principal duty of the committee is to work with a representative of the School of Government, and to examine once a year all applications submitted for Certification and Recertification designations. Certification and Recertification designations will be presented at the Annual Clerks Summer Academy held in August.

The committee will be responsible for creating and displaying committee information at the City and County Clerks School each year in January, at the NCAMC President's request.

The committee Chair will be responsible for the promotion of the Certification and Recertification programs each year prior to the application deadline in locations including, but not limited to the Minute by Minute newsletter, Southern City publication, the City and County Managers' listserv, and the City and County Clerks listserv, dependent upon cost and availability.

CERTIFICATION PROCEDURES:

1. The committee shall recommend to the Board of Directors the amount of fees to be paid by all applicants for certification or recertification designation annually at the Board of Directors December meeting. Such fees shall be mailed directly to the committee Chair, and the funds shall be made payable to the North Carolina Association Municipal Clerks (NCAMC). All application fees shall be non-refundable, except in cases where the applicant is only lacking membership status, in which case the fees may be held in reserve until the applicant completes membership criteria. In making its recommendation, the committee shall ensure that each fee is sufficient to cover all investigation expenses, all costs incurred by the School of Government and billed to the association, and all costs for production of a plaque and/or other appropriate recognition for the clerk who is receiving the certification or recertification. The fee may be changed by the Board from time to time upon the committee's recommendation.

2. Pursuant to the association's certification guidelines, the committee Chair will verify all information submitted by a clerk for certification. The Chair shall recommend certification to the Board of Directors in those cases where the requirements for certification have been met. The Chair will confer with the North Carolina League of Municipalities and the School of Government for any discrepancies in criteria.

3. Pursuant to the association's recertification guidelines, the committee member assigned recertification responsibilities by the Chair will verify all information submitted by a clerk for recertification. The Chair shall recommend recertification to the Board of Directors in those cases where the requirements for recertification have been met. The Chair will confer with the North Carolina League of Municipalities and the School of Government for any discrepancies in criteria.

4. The committee shall arrange for a plaque and other appropriate recognition for clerks who are receiving their certification or recertification designation.

EXAM PROCEDURES:

1. Applicants must meet all other certification criteria before being administered the exam.

2. Exams shall be administered once annually.

3. The committee Chair shall administer the exams to applicants requiring testing by randomly selecting a copy of an exam, and emailing the exam in PDF format to the applicant with an email read receipt request.

4. The applicant will have two (2) calendar weeks to complete and return the exam from the date the exam is sent via email to the applicant.

5. The applicant will be responsible for signing the cover sheet acknowledging the requirements for open-book assistance and exam completion, and initialing each page of the exam.

6. The committee Chair will be responsible for grading the exams. The Chair will confer with the North Carolina League of Municipalities and the School of Government for any discrepancies in exam questions and answers.

7. The applicant will be given two (2) opportunities to pass the exam with a score of 80 or higher, following a two (2) week time period between exams.

8. Exams shall be reviewed annually by the Chair for revisions needed, and recommend any changes to the committee.