Town Clerk Candidate Jack Hurd

In preparation for the upcoming town elections, Arlington Patch sat down to talk with all of the candidates running for major office. We've been bringing our readers profiles on all of the different candidates, giving you an inside look at their backgrounds, experiences and their views on the issues.

John “Jack” Hurd is one of two candidates running for . Hurd faces Assistant Clerk Stephanie Lucarelli in the race for Town Clerk. Voters will choose one candidate to serve a three-year term.

A lifelong resident of Arlington, Jack Hurd currently works as a realtor for Bowes in town. Prior to becoming a realtor, Hurd worked at Polaroid in Waltham for 30 years as an operations manager. Hurd just ended his 14-year tenure as a . He also served as a Town Meeting member for six years. Hurd coached hockey at for 20 years; each of his three children attended and graduated from Arlington Catholic.

Patch: The Town Clerk’s office oversees many aspects of town business, from licensing to vital records to Town Meetings. What do you think the incoming Town Clerk should do to make the office run more efficiently?

Jack Hurd: "There is a lot of similarities between the Board of Selectmen's Office and the Town Clerk's Office, from issuing licenses and permits; so the process of the application and implementation is similar. I think we need to give residents the ability to do a lot of their business online. There are certain licenses that require you to come into the office but there are a lot of opportunities for residents to apply for some of these licenses online. That can be done as soon as possible. As time permits, I would also like to go back and digitize existing records to preserve them. Once records are online, people can access them through home. There needs to be an electronic aspect with all documents in the town, which would create a more effective link between the residents and the Town Clerk's Office, and it would be a more cost effective and efficient way to run things."

Patch: The Town Clerk’s office serves a hub for many other town offices and as a catch-all residents’ questions and concerns. If elected as Town Clerk, what specifically will you do to improve communication between the Town Clerk’s office and the rest of the town? How can the Town Clerk’s office enhance those relationships? 

Jack Hurd: "My experience as a selectman, I've already cultivated that kind of relationship with all the boards and offices in town, including the Town Clerk's Office. I consider everyone in the Town Clerk's Office a friend; we've had a good working relationship. Going forward, I think it's important to create a more electronic link. Right now the clerk's office is almost entirely on a paper system. I'm hoping to take my background as a product manager at Polaroid to implement an extensive electronic system. This where we need to go, and I have background not only in government, but also in product management, so I have the skills and experience to make that happen."

Patch: What about your experience and background makes you the best person for this job?

Jack Hurd:"From an educational statement, I have degrees in business management and management systems, which is geared towards electronic business. Additionally, I have private sector experience as a product and operations manager at Polaroid, so I have experience working with budgets, people and products. In particular at Polaroid, I managed a documentation program, which coincides with what's most needed in the Town Clerk's Office: updating systems and putting records online. My experience implementing a major project like this will be invaluable if I'm elected to be Town Clerk. As a selectman, I served in a town government role similar to Town Clerk, so I see the opportunity to hit the ground running. I grew up in Arlington; it's a great town with a great spirit and I have a passion for it. I'm excited at the prospect of giving back to the town in a different capacity." 

Check back with Arlington Patch for more candidate profiles before heading to the polls on April 2