Penobscot town clerk retiring from job she never thought she’d have
Sally Bridges, the town clerk of Penobscot for the past decade. Photo by John Boit.
PENOBSCOT—After a decade overseeing elections, vital records and the daily mechanics of local government, Penobscot town clerk Sally Bridges is preparing to step away from a job she never expected to hold—and one she says has only grown more complex over time.
Bridges, who began working in the town office in 2015 after filling in when the previous clerk, Mary Ellen “Cupe” Gross, became ill, will leave the post following the March town election. Her successor is presumed to be Rita Martynowski, currently the town’s deputy tax collector, who is running unopposed for the position.
“I never expected that I would be sitting in this chair as the town clerk,” Bridges said. “But I believe very strongly in giving back to your community.”
As town clerk, Bridges has been responsible for elections, voter registration, birth and marriage certificates, dog licensing, clam licenses, and supporting the select board. Elections, she said, remain the core of the job — and the most regulated.
“Be polite. In spite of everything.”
“The state governs that,” she said. “You get emails constantly. There are deadlines, petitions, signature verification—it’s nonstop.”
Bridges described the challenge of balancing state election law, local charter rules and the realities of a small-town workforce. Recruiting poll workers has become increasingly difficult, she said, particularly when it comes to maintaining the required political balance at check-in tables.
“You’re supposed to have an equal number of Democrats and Republicans,” Bridges said. “We have Democrats volunteer overwhelmingly. Republicans—I have a few. It’s harder [to recruit volunteers] than people realize.”
Beyond elections, Bridges said residents’ expectations of town government have shifted.
“People wish we were open seven days a week,” she said. “No matter what hours you offer, someone’s unhappy.”
Penobscot’s town office is open 20 hours a week, at different times of the day and evening to accommodate residents’ schedules as much as possible.
Before becoming clerk, Bridges described herself as a “professional volunteer,” raising four children in Penobscot while serving in schools, scouting programs and later the fire department. Bridges was also the first woman in town to complete interior firefighting training roughly 25 years ago and currently serves as treasurer of the volunteer fire company.
“I’ve always believed that if you live here, you should give something back,” she said.
That belief has made it frustrating, she said, to see vacancies go unfilled on boards and commissions. Penobscot is currently struggling to recruit enough candidates for a proposed charter commission.
“It’s a commitment,” Bridges said. “People are busy. But without volunteers, the system doesn’t work.”
Bridges said the town’s 1989 charter, last revised more than three decades ago, complicates matters by requiring some positions to be elected rather than appointed. That narrows the pool of potential candidates in a town of about 1,100 residents, she said.
“If you’re elected, you have to be a resident and a registered voter,” she said. “That limits you right away.”
Bridges said her decision to step down is also shaped in part by health concerns. Diagnosed with lung cancer in 2017, Bridges underwent surgery and chemotherapy, and experienced a recurrence in 2019. She now manages the disease with daily medication.
In retirement, Bridges plans to spend more time with her husband Lennie, their four children, and their five grandchildren. She expects to also remain active in her church and community. But she will likely still be seen around the town office, she said..
“I’d like to come in once a week and help answer questions,” she said. “I want the next clerk to succeed.”
Looking back, Bridges said the most rewarding part of the job has been the people
“It’s fun to meet folks, especially newcomers,” she said. “This used to be a town where you knew who lived in every house. That’s changed—but it’s still a good place.”
And for whoever follows her, she offered simple advice: “Be polite. In spite of everything.”
