County Clerk and Recorder’s Job and Why It Matters
“County Clerk and Recorder” is not the most glamorous job out there.
But it matters. It matters a lot. Here’s why:
1. Just about every citizen directly interacts with the Clerk’s office every single year, usually several times. You can’t say that about any other elected office – for most people, the Clerk is the ONLY elected office whose services they regularly use.
License Renewals: Almost everyone uses the Clerk’s services to renew license plates, and less often to renew a driver’s license and obtain title to a vehicle.
Voting: If you vote, it is the Clerk who sets up the polling place or gets you your mail-in ballot, and then it is the Clerk who counts the votes and releases the results. If you buy or sell real estate, the Clerk records the transaction, as well as any associated debt.
When the Clerk’s office becomes more efficient, more helpful, more friendly, then you benefit. You get your questions answered correctly the first time, you take care of your business more quickly, and are less frustrated with the bureaucracy.
You need a clerk who is committed to delivering better service. Later posts will describe how I’ve done this as Public Trustee and how I will deliver better service as your County Clerk.
2. The County Clerk spends a LOT of money: It matters because the Clerk’s budget, over $11 million per year, is one of the largest under the direct stewardship of a local elected official, and is about 10% of the County’s General Fund.
With that size budget, even small increases in efficiency will free up a great deal of money to be spent on other needs, such as road repairs or the sheriff – or prevent future calls for tax increases. I have cut the cost of doing work in the Public Trustee Office in half, which has saved over $1.5 million so far. Even a 10% efficiency gain in the Clerk’s Office will save over $1 million per year.
You need a clerk who is committed to less spending. Later posts will describe how I’ve done this as Public Trustee and how I will cut the cost of running the Clerk’s office – without reducing service.
3. Elections are at the foundation of our republic. It matters because we the people elect leaders who should act in our interests, and in Colorado also exercise a direct democratic voice on certain issues. Our founders fought for this freedom, and we must maintain it.
It is therefore important that the Clerk not behave like a politician. The Clerk’s job is a serious, technical, and administrative one. But it should not be political. If the Clerk emphasizes his party, advocating for his preferences to be victorious in elections, then he corrodes the trust that is essential to our political system. The Clerk must stand outside politics, making sure that everyone gets honest information and that ballots are tallied accurately.
You need a clerk who is committed to fair elections untainted by partisanship. Later posts will describe problems we have had here, and also how I taught our founding principles at the Air Force Academy and worked in Baghdad on a strategy to bring the first democratic elections to Iraq.
I am the Clerk you need. Because it matters.
Learn more about Tom Mowle and why he’s running for El Paso County Clerk and Recorder.
