Twp. clerk to step down from post next month OCEAN TOWNSHIP - After serving as the township clerk for close to three decades, Deborah Smith will be retiring from her post next month. Ocean Township Mayor William Larkin announced at the Jan. 7 council meeting that Smith will be stepping down from her borough position on Feb. 29. Smith said her retirement was prompted by her upcoming plans to move to Pennsylvania, where she said she will explore her professional options. "I have a few things lined up," Smith said last week after the meeting. "I'm probably going to sit back for a while so I can make sure that what I choose is what I want to do." Smith worked for Ocean Township for the last 36 years, serving in a variety of capacities. Before taking on the position as the township clerk, Smith also worked for the police department, the tax collector, the assessor's office and the township health department. The clerk's office is responsible for several functions within the township, including dealing with liquor licenses, vital statistics, elections, contract law, ordinances, deeds and meeting minutes. Smith said she has enjoyed her last 26 years serving as the clerk and said she has some advice for her successor. "I think my best bit of advice [for an applicant] is that they have common sense," Smith said. "Anyone that has common sense can do the job and do it well. "It takes more than an education to understand the [clerk's] overall responsibility," she added. The Township Council is accepting applications for the clerk position. Anyone interested in applying can contact the clerk's office at (732) 531-5000. - Daniel Howley