by Angela Swartz
After almost five years on the job and a long commute, Menlo Park’s City Clerk is leaving her post for a job closer to home.
Margaret Roberts will be taking on the role of director of administrative services in Hercules, Calif.
Roberts said the decision came down to quality of life. She lives in Concord, which is 15 miles from Hercules, versus her 50 plus mile trip to Menlo Park.
“I will also have a higher position as department head [in Hercules],” Roberts said. “I wasn’t on the City Manager’s executive team and will be in Hercules.”
Roberts said the move is bittersweet, but this is her best option at the moment.
“I’ve been moved to tears by some of the nice e-mails I’ve gotten,” Roberts said.
“I’m really going to miss the people — staffers and the current city council,” she said.
Moving forward, Deputy City Clerk Pam Aguilar will act as an Interim City Clerk. The City Clerk is responsible for maintaining public records, running city elections, and fulfilling requests for information from the public.
Roberts said she hopes Aguilar is instated permanently as clerk as she said Aguilar has the training and capacity to fill the position.
What challenges does Roberts think the next clerk will face? Roberts sees updates on internal policies as well as the November 2014 election as the largest tasks at hand.
Roberts said the City of Menlo Park has known about her departure since May 6 when she had a conditional offer from the City of Hercules.
Prior to her time in Menlo Park, Roberts served as City Clerk in the California cities of Davis and Rio Vista.
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