April 3rd, 2009
Clerk’s office opened Saturday for shredding, passports

SUBMITTED PHOTO

Cynthia Knox, Shelley Goodwin and City Clerk Sherry Mashburn are ready to help citizens safely dispose of personal papers during Saturday’s Shred Day from 9 a.m. – 12 noon at City Hall. Residents may also process passport applications at the City Clerk’s office Saturday morning.

SUBMITTED REPORT

The city clerk’s office will sponsor a free Shred Day for residents and open its passport office for business from 9 a.m. to 12 noon on Saturday, April 4 at City Hall, 630 E. Hopkins.

City Clerk Sherry Mashburn and her staff will be on hand to assist residents who want to dispose of boxes of paper documents by confidential on-site shredding by Marshall Shredding of San Antonio.

“With the increased awareness of identity theft, many people are aware that they should dispose of personal records in a way that insures that others cannot gain possession or misuse the information,” Mashburn said. “This event helps with home records management and publicizes the importance of managing records.”

The passport office provided by the city clerk’s staff will also be open Saturday from 9 a.m. to 12 noon to process passport applications.

Applicants should bring the following: certified birth certificate, naturalization or previous passport, two passport photos and a valid photo I.D. Please check the web-site for information regarding passport requirements at www.travel.state.gov .

The U.S. State Department fees for regular service (4-6 weeks to receive passport, book, or card) range from $60 to $75 depending on the age of the applicant. The city of San Marcos charges $25 per person to process passport applications. Expedited service is not available on Saturday.

In addition to passport books, citizens may also apply for the less expensive passport card which may be used at land and seaport border crossings with Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean and Bermuda. The passport card may not be used for air travel.

Applicants must pay the U.S. Department of State fee by money order, cashier’s check or personal check since it is sent in with the application. Temporary checks are not accepted.

The city of San Marcos fee may be paid by cash, cashier’s check, money order or credit card. American Express is NOT accepted. For more information, call the city clerk’s office at 512-393-8090.

The clerk’s office will also be able to issue certified birth certificates Saturday for San Marcos births only. The fee is $23.

— FROM THE CITY OF SAN MARCOS