Election Profiles: Sebastian County Clerk

Editor’s note: Between Oct. 13 and Oct. 27, The City Wire will present information from candidates in 15 key races in Crawford County, Sebastian County, Fort Smith and area legislative districts. A schedule of races presented will accompany this article and each article in the series.

The race for Sebastian County Clerk will be without an incumbent for the first time in almost 20 years. Sebastian County Clerk Doris Tate did not seek re-election, and instead ran for the Arkansas Secretary of State job. Tate lost in the Democratic primary to Pat O’Brien.

In the clerk’s race is Sharon Brooks (R) and Angie Hatwig (D).

Hatwig has been Tate’s chief deputy for 10 years, during which she has helped supervise office staff in the Fort Smith and Greenwood clerk offices.

Brooks worked five years as a probate clerk in the Sebastian County Clerk’s office, eight years as assistant comptroller for the county, and the past six years has worked as the senior deputy tax collector for the county.

CANDIDATE RESPONSE REQUEST
In 400 words or less, please explain your qualifications for the office you seek and what you would do to improve the office if elected.

• Sharon Brooks response:
I am well qualified for the position of County Clerk, based on the twenty-plus years of experience I have gained as a public servant in the three departments that I have been privileged to serve. I started in the County Clerk’s office where I served as Probate Clerk. I performed effectively and proficiently in each area of responsibility that I was presented.

After five years, I accepted a position in the County Judge’s office as Assistant Comptroller, which allowed me the opportunity to serve the public by managing multi-million dollar budgets and supervising the processing of payrolls and accounts payable. 
For the last seven years I have been the Senior Deputy Tax Collector. This position has given me insight into how the taxes are collected distributed among the various departments within the county, city and schools.

All of my experience and abilities are invaluable and have put me in a unique position to be a very effective County Clerk. I possess an abundance of experience that I will share. I have developed solid professional working relationships with all the department heads within the county and city. I love serving and interacting with the citizens. Providing courteous and friendly service to every individual who visits or call by telephone will be of upmost importance to me as County Clerk. I recognize that as county employees and elected officials, we are there to serve the public. I see myself as a public servant who is duty bound to serve the public.

One area of improvement that I would work towards would be the cross training of all employees. An effective leader will ensure that every person receives the skills needed to do every task covered under the duties of the department. Every citizen is deserving of our best service. Everyone should be able to do every task proficiently. I also would ensure that each employee is afforded the opportunity to receive ongoing individual professional development. This will ensure the growth and professional of the individual as well as the ability to serve the public in a more efficient manner. The above stated ideas would do wonders in improving the office that I am seeking.

My main goal is to bring the Sebastian County Clerk’s office fully online at no cost to the Sebastian County Citizens. This will be challenging, but I know we can do it in Sebastian County.

• Angie Hatwig response:
I have worked in the County Clerk’s office for 21 years. The last 10 years I have served as Chief Deputy. I supervise the office staff in the Fort Smith and Greenwood offices.

I have 20 years experience supervising the voter registration maintenance and early
and absentee voting. I helped to implement a state wide voter system linking all
75 counties.

I completed post census redistricting for the 1990 and 2000 census. This is a very critical procedure to ensure the voters are in the correct precinct with the correct districts assigned to each record.

I was project manager for the new software system implemented in 2010 that has streamlined the issuing of marriage license and recording of land records. Land records can now be filed electronically. This system has allowed public access to County Recorder records online. There is a cost attached to the search and printing of documents. Sebastian County has an Ordinance in place that directs the charge for copies. County Clerk records will be in the next phase of this project and those records will be available online as well.

I help to prepare and administer the budget. Sebastian County Clerk and Recorder budgets are solely supported by the Recorder fund. We do not rely on County General funds.

I am secretary to the Quorum Court and the Equalization Board.

The next project I want to complete in the office would be back indexing of older Recorder  documents into the new system. This would allow searches of documents currently only available on microfilm.

If elected I will continue to maintain the high level of public service and integrity people
expect from the County Clerk’s office.