Christen resigns as town clerk

The Town of Saratoga will once-again begin the search for a town clerk following the resignation of Marie Christen on June 20. Christen, who struggled at times to hold back tears, read her own resignation letter near the end of the meeting.

“I want to express my gratitude for the opportunities I have had while working here. I have learned an immense amount and appreciate the support provided by my co-workers and the council,” said Marie. “I am committed to ensure a smooth transition and will do everything I can to assist in the training of my replacement. I am willing to continue to work part-time to help during this transition period.”

Christen has served in the role of town clerk for just over two years. She was appointed as town clerk by Mayor Creed James on March 16, 2021. Her appointment came following the resignation of long-time town clerk Suzie Cox at the end of 2020. After she read her letter, both Councilmember Michael Cooley and Mayor Chuck Davis praised Christen through tears of their own.

“Your professionalism and diligence is over the top,” said Cooley. “We’re going to miss you.”

“Since I’ve been here six months, she’s done a fantastic job,” said Davis. “We may have got off to a little bit of a rocky start, but she has put this town above and beyond everything she does. I just can’t thank her enough.”

Though she was resigning from the role of town clerk, Davis informed the council he would like to keep her appointed as the court clerk. According to Davis, Judge Nathanial Massey had high praise for Christen and how she ran municipal court. Her appointment was approved unanimously.

Christen’s final day will be July 14, 2023.

“Thank you, again, for the opportunity to work here,” said Christen. “I wish the Town of Saratoga continued success and I hope to stay in touch in the future.”

The next meeting of the Saratoga Town Council will be at 6 p.m. on July 4 at Saratoga Town Hall.