CHARLEMONT — As a nearly lifelong resident of Charlemont, Kathy Reynolds feels a particular kinship with her fellow residents, or in her own words, “my people.”

Many of those people have gotten to know Reynolds during her 22-year career working in town government, most recently as town clerk and executive secretary to the Selectboard. On Friday, Reynolds will retire, a life change she says feels surreal to her.

“I sometimes refer to the Town Hall as my home,” Reynolds said, reflecting on her service to the town in various roles since 2001. “There have been high points and low points in this job.”

While she keeps her work professional, Reynolds said her happiest moments on the job come when she’s recording the weddings and births that bring joy to Charlemont’s residents, and the lowest points involve recording the deaths of her loved ones and neighbors. In addition to overseeing elections and censuses, the town clerk is responsible for vital documents such as birth and death records and marriage certificates.

“After getting up every morning for 22 years, it will be a huge change,” she said of her impending retirement. “But I have a lot of things to do that I haven’t been able to do.”

Reynolds plans to spend her newfound free time with her four grandchildren.

“There were many events I missed because of the job,” she mentioned.

Reynolds started working for the town as administrative assistant and accountant. When former Town Clerk Linda Wagner decided to retire, the Selectboard initiated a year-long process to change the position from elected to appointed. After the change was approved by Town Meeting voters and the Massachusetts Legislature, the Selectboard began its search for a new town clerk.

“They were all sitting there saying they needed someone reliable to do the job and kept looking over at me taking notes,” Reynolds recalled. “Finally, they said, ‘How about you, Kathy?’ I said, ‘I will think about it.’”

When Reynolds was first introduced as town clerk at Town Meeting in 2010, she said, the news elicited cheers from residents.

“It went right to my heart,” she said. “It was so nice.”

The first year Reynolds took on her new position was a difficult one as it was a state election year and she needed to learn the job quickly.

“I had no idea what I was doing. It was scary. But I went on,” Reynolds said.

Still, her hardest days on the job came at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, when she took on many extra responsibilities including town administrator duties, and during the elections that followed the passage of the VOTES Act in June 2022.

“I will toot my horn about what I accomplished,” Reynolds said.

Though the law expanded accessibility to the polls for voters by making mail-in voting permanent and expanding early voting opportunities, many town clerks — especially those working in small communities with few paid hours — have struggled in the wake of the increased workload. Reynolds noted the new early voting regulations require town clerks to work long days while seeing few people turn out to the polls given the small population.

“The VOTES Act is impossible for a small town like this,” she said, “but you have to comply.”

As for who will fill Reynolds’ position, Thorne Palmer, who also works as a Transfer Station attendant and with the Sewer District, has been hired to serve as interim town clerk. Meanwhile, the Selectboard is revising the town clerk’s job description ahead of hiring someone for the role long-term.

“Town clerks are basically the backbone of the town,” Reynolds said. “They are not just here for elections.”

Bella Levavi can be reached at 413-930-4579 or blevavi@recorder.com.