Stonington ― Town Clerk Sally Duplice sounded an alarm over the future of her office at a Board of Selectmen meeting Wednesday.

“It would be in the best interest of the town that my replacement comes with a resume and experience, rather than a political party or popular vote with little to no knowledge and experience as to what a town clerk is responsible for, let alone being able to do the job,” she said.

Duplice said the responsibilities of her job are extensive and with her impending retirement January 1, 2026, there is an urgent need to revise the town charter to change the elected town clerk position to a hired administrative one to ensure the smooth functioning of the office.

Members of the Board of Selectmen discussed a potential charter revision and the corresponding tight timeline for approval last month, but on Wednesday, that timeline had become even more condensed as selectmen extended the application deadline for charter revision commission members into February, with interviews tentatively scheduled for Feb. 28. The Board of Selectmen is scheduled to vote on a resolution to establish on March 13.

On Wednesday, First Selectman Danielle Chesebrough expressed concern that the timeline for getting revisions on the ballot for the November election was too short.

She said the issue would be better posed to voters in 2025.

For Duplice, the issue is not one that should wait.

If approved this year, the town would be able to hire someone to coincide with her retirement, but if postponed to the November 2025 election, the vote would coincide with the election of a new town clerk, whose term would not expire until Jan. 2030.

She noted on Thursday that despite 36 years working in the town clerk’s office, she was surprised by how much she still needed to learn, when elected in 2021, to manage the vast array of responsibilities she has including managing land records, vital statistics, election issues, and adhering to extensive legal requirements.

“I can’t think of anyone in the town that can do this job,” she told the board.

As an elected office, the pool of candidates is limited to residents, she explained, but a change to the charter would allow the town to look beyond its borders for a qualified person to fill the role, one she believes should not be partisan.

“It’s not that I’m not replaceable, everybody’s replaceable,” she said, but noted 2 1/2 years of education and training are required to become certified as a town clerk, more than half of the four-year term.

“It could potentially be a mess,” she said.