City Secretary’s Office

• Elected Officials and Basic Election Information
• Public Speaking Guidelines for City Council Meetings

Melissa Brunner, TRMC, MMC

City Secretary

The City Secretary is an officer of the City, appointed by the City Council. The position of City Secretary is a statutory position required by State law and the City Charter. In addition to the statutory duties of the position, the City Secretary serves as director of the City Secretary Department consisting of the City Secretary’s Office, Vital Statistics, Records Management, Municipal Court Operations, City Marshals’ Office, Council Services and Municipal Building lobby operations.

SERVING CITIZENS OF TODAY AND TOMORROW WHILE PRESERVING THE RECORDS OF THE PAST

The mission of the City Secretary’s Office is to support, facilitate and strengthen the City of Bryan governmental process by:

• Assisting the City Council in fulfilling its duties and responsibilities;
• Improving public access to municipal records and other information;
• Enhancing public participation in municipal government processes;
• Safeguarding and enriching the municipal election and records management processes;
• Providing continuity for Bryan city government by recording its legislative actions, both contemporary and archival, and serving as historian for the City;
• Serving as local registrar for Bryan residents by proper recordation and filing of birth and death records; and
• Providing daily assistance to all administrative departments of the City of Bryan government.

As in many other cities, the City Secretary’s Office serves as a resource for citizens and a link between citizens and the City organization.

City Secretary’s Office Staff

Melissa Brunner, TRMC, MMC
City Secretary

James Greene
Deputy City Secretary

Raul Dominguez Cruz
Records Management Coordinator

Julieta Reyes
Vital Statistics Technician

Miranda Pierce
City Secretary Division Assistant

Tania Barrios
Citizen Information Clerk

 

City Council Meetings and Council Services Office

The City Secretary’s Office is responsible for the preparation and dissemination of City Council meeting agendas and packets. The City Secretary must attend every meeting of the City Council and keep accurate minutes of the proceedings, engrossing and enrolling all laws, ordinances and resolutions of the City Council.  The City Secretary’s Council Services Office handles all Council meeting preparations, Council correspondence, travel, expenditures and calendars. This office serves as the liaison between the Mayor and Councilmembers and the public.

Records Custodian / Records Management Officer

The Office of the City Secretary is the administrative agency responsible for the care and maintenance of all City of Bryan records. This office houses all legal transactions, City Council minutes, agendas, cemetery records, deeds, ordinances, resolutions, contracts and a vast array of other historical and regulatory information. The City Secretary is designated as the City’s Records Management Officer by both state law and City ordinance. She is responsible for developing and administering a records retention and destruction policy, monitoring the records storage centers, overseeing the control of electronically stored records, and upgrading technology to provide for efficient and economic storage of records. In addition to these duties, the City Secretary’s Office responds to hundreds of requests for City records filed each year under the Texas Public Information Act.

Elections

The City Secretary serves as the Chief Election Official for the City of Bryan and is solely responsible for the administration of all City elections. The City Secretary provides staff support and guidance during Charter review processes.

View campaign finance reports

Candidate filing deadlines

• Notice of deadline to file an application for a place on the ballot
• Aviso de fecha límite para presentar una solicitud para un lugar en la boleta

Local Registrar

The City Secretary acts as Local Registrar for the City of Bryan. The City Secretary’s Vital Statistics Office receives, records and issues birth and death certificates, amendments to birth and death certificates, name changes, court ordered adoptions and burial transit and cremation permits. This office also serves as a remote birth certificate printing location for the State Bureau of Vital Statistics. Certified birth certificates for any individual born in the State of Texas can be issued immediately upon request. The City Secretary and Vital Statistics Technician are on call 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, for the timely issuance of vital statistics permits.

Boards / Commissions / Committees

The City Secretary’s Office coordinates the recruitment, application and appointment process for City Council appointed boards, commissions and committees. This office maintains an online directory of appointed officials and volunteers serving on various panels and committees.

• City of Bryan Ethics and Conflict of Interest Training for Elected and Appointed Officials

Permits / Licenses

The City Secretary’s Office is responsible for the issuance of certain permits and licenses for various operations within the City of Bryan including alcoholic beverage licenses, vehicle for hire permits, and grave digging permits. For information on these permits, please call (979) 209-5002.

Volunteer Program

The City of Bryan recognizes the tremendous reserve of knowledge, talent and skill within our community and encourages citizens to contribute their valuable time and talents to a variety of jobs on a volunteer basis. Volunteers can provide assistance to staff in completing projects or share their experience with staff in a team effort. Learn more about Volunteer Bryan!

Miscellaneous

In addition to the duties listed above, the City Secretary serves as custodian of the City corporate seal and attests the Mayor’s signature on all official documents; records and files deeds and easements; prepares and issues cemetery deeds and maintains cemetery records; coordinates the codification of City ordinances into the City Code of Ordinances; publishes all legal ads and notices for the City; maintains all board and committee meeting minutes; posts all legal notices and agendas; develops and oversees the City Secretary Department Budget; serves on the City’s Executive Management Team; and serves as Parliamentarian for the City Council.