Although she’s only been a Town Hall employee less than half a year, Town Clerk Sarah Arruda said that the amount of work she’s done so far shows she is dedicated to serving the town and more than ready for a full term come April 6. 

Before her appointment to Town Hall back in August, the longtime Dartmouth resident previously worked for the state’s Department of Children and Families — something she said has translated well to her new position.

“I was required to be very organized as a social worker and meet deadlines, and I am able to do that here,” Arruda said. “There’s also some level of customer service as a social worker that’s also really important here.” 

So far, Arruda has enjoyed her time at Town Hall, noting that it’s been especially nice getting to know residents and helping them maintain relationships with the town government.

“It’s been a lot of fun,” the clerk said. “There’s a lot of learning new things — every day is a little bit different for me.” 

One of Arruda’s proudest accomplishments during her short tenure was overseeing the 2020 presidential election. 

She said she was especially proud of all the collaboration that went on with the various town departments to make sure all of the votes were counted before the end of the night. 

“It was very successful and went off without a hitch,” she said. 

If elected to the full term, Arruda said she’d like to try to digitize many of the town’s records to make them more accessible to the public. 

There are also plans to digitize the town’s dog licensing program so residents can pay from home.

“It’s all about best practices and streamlining the services that we have,” she said.