GUIDELINES FOR MAYOR/COUNCIL CEREMONIAL DOCUMENTS AND EVENTS

The Mayor is always pleased to learn about the accomplishments, contributions, and lives of Watertown residents and community members. From time to time, the Mayor will recognize extraordinary Watertown residents and community members through letters, certificates, and proclamations. Instructions for requesting these forms of recognition and for inviting the Mayor to an event are below.

All requests for letters, certificates, proclamations, events, and adjournments should be made by community members in the City of Watertown, organizations or businesses physically located in Watertown, or organizations whose primary mission is to provide some service to Watertown residents. The Office of the Mayor reserves the right to decline or modify requests and make exceptions to any of the following guidelines:

EVENTS:

If you would like to invite the Mayor to an event, please submit a formal request including the event name, host, location, date, and time on the form at the bottom of this page. Please be aware that the Mayor’s schedule fills up quickly, so please submit your request well in advance of the event.  The Mayor may be forced to decline invitations received less than 10 days prior to an event due to scheduling challenges.

LETTERS:

A letter from the Mayor serves to commemorate a special occasion or convey gratitude on behalf of the City of Watertown. The Mayor will issue letters for the purpose of:

• Welcoming an individual or group to the City of Watertown
• Congratulating an individual, group, or organization for a significant achievement
• Thanking an individual or group for service or a gift to the City of Watertown

Requests for letters should include:

• Recipient’s full name and address
• A brief (<250 words) description of the occasion for the letter
• Date of event (if applicable)
• Date message is needed
• Contact information for the person requesting the letter

The Office of the Mayor reserves the right to decline or modify requests and make exceptions to any of the guidelines listed on this page. Requests for letters cannot be completed with less than 10 days advance notice.  In order to request a letter of welcome, commendation, or congratulation, please submit a request electronically on the form at the bottom of this page.

CERTIFICATES:

The Mayor issues special certificates of commendation, recognition, and achievement. Occasions for which certificates may be issued include, but are not limited to:

• Exemplary service or significant contributions by an organization, business, or individual to the City of Watertown
• Notable achievement by a Watertown resident
• Retirement from the military, police, or fire department
• Other achievements or events of significance

Requests for certificates should include:

• Recipient’s full name and address
• A brief (<100 words) description of the recipient
• A brief (<300 words) description of the reason for the certificate
• Proposed text for the certificate, including several “whereas” clauses to be included in the commendation
• Date of event (if applicable)
• Date certificate is desired
• Contact information for the person requesting the certificate

Due to the large volume of worthy requests, not all requests for certificates will result in the award of a certificate. The Office of the Mayor reserves the right to decline or modify requests and make exceptions to any of the guidelines listed on this page. Requests for certificates cannot be completed with less than 10 days advance notice.  In order to request a certificate, please submit a request electronically on the form at the bottom of this page.

PROCLAMATIONS:

Proclamations are legal documents that declare a day, week, or month in honor of a cause, individual, or occasion significant to the City of Watertown and its residents. All proclamation requests should be made by a resident of Watertown or an organization primarily serving Watertown residents. All proclamation requests must be relevant to a broad group of Watertown residents. Proclamations may not be used in any advertisement or promotion without written approval from the Office of the Mayor. Please be aware that the Mayor issues very few proclamations. Though the Mayor receives a large number of worthy requests, not all requests will result in the issuance of a proclamation.

Reasons to request a proclamation include:

• A significant date or anniversary relating to the City of Watertown
• Significant historical commemorations
• To highlight an issue that has citywide public interest
• Recognizing a national or state non-profit event that coincides with a local event (for example, Breast Cancer Awareness month)
• Recognizing a person or group of persons who have had a significant positive impact on the City of Watertown

Requests for proclamations should include:

• ​Desired day, week, or month of the proclamation
• Proposed text for the proclamation, including up to 5 sentence “whereas” clauses explaining and supporting the reason for the proclamation, not to exceed one page (example)
• Contact information for the person or group of persons honored by the proclamation (if applicable)
• Contact information for the person requesting the proclamation

The Office of the Mayor reserves the right to decline or modify requests and make exceptions to any of the above guidelines. Requests for proclamations should be made 10 days in advance of the date needed.  Please submit requests electronically on the form below.