Security is important to Tombstone’s interim city clerk. That’s why, one year after her appointment, Brenda Ikirt refuses to take on the official title.

She wants to be able to keep her job, and she worries that if she takes on the full title she could lose her position after the next election.

“To accept the permanent job, I will not do it. I don’t want to because it’s an appointed position. The way the politics are, if you have a new city council or a new mayor, if they don’t want to, they do not have to vote for you again to appoint you, and then you’re gone.”

It was last November that Mayor Dusty Escapule decided to hire an interim city clerk instead of appointing a salary-paid one. It has been 10 months since Ikirt, who was born and raised in Tombstone, accepted the position as the interim on Nov. 18, 2008.

This is already her third go-around with the job. Ikirt served as the interim for Escapule from early 2001 to early 2004. She also worked two years for former Mayor Andree Dejournett as the interim city clerk from late 2005 to early 2007.

“They (City officials) are looking for any way they can to cut money. So this was one of the ways that they did it this time,” said City Secretary Laura Jones. “When we got the new administration, they decided to save money in the budget and she was willing to go ahead and step in again and be a temporary city clerk until things work out to where we can hire somebody for the position,” she said.

The mayor and city council traditionally appoint a new city clerk every time a new administration is elected. They also decide how much to pay the individual.

“The city clerk is an appointed position like the marshal and public works, so they’re on salary. I get paid hourly. I was not given a raise, so I stayed on as an hourly,” said Ikirt. “The other two times that I did interim, I did get a raise. And when I went back to my old position, I went back to my old rate again. This time, we just left it alone. I don’t want the town to be without a city clerk, anything that I can do to help. I care about what happens here,” she said.

For many people in Tombstone, it would be hard to imagine the city without a Brenda Ikirt in the City Hall offices.

“She’s been with the city almost 30 years,” said Jones.

Ikirt began working for the City of Tombstone in high school and has spent the greater part of her life as the utility billing and payroll clerk, where she was responsible for all of the city employee’s payroll and tax information.

She has worked with the City of Tombstone for so long that she will qualify for state retirement in October 2010.

“The life of retirement seems nice, but then I don’t know. I’m still thinking back and forth, what should I do, because next year, I’ll only have one year left. I’ve been with the city all those years,” Ikirt said. “I say that I’m going to (retire), but I’m so used to this place and this job. I wouldn’t know what to do. Who knows?” she said.