Blevins’ saga re-emerges at Circuit Clerk forum

Outgoing Sebastian County Circuit Clerk Ken Blevins attacked criticism of his two-year term in the position on Monday (Oct. 22) at the League of Women Voters (LWV) Candidate Forum.

During the forum, Circuit Clerk candidates Denora Coomer and Kathy Guthrie agreed that there had been a failure of leadership during Blevins' time in office.

Blevins called the criticisms "complete nonsense" in an interview with The City Wire after the forum.

"There's no way for me to defend my office because I've been denied being able to go to court. But I'm innocent. So I just have to wait until Jan. 28 (date of hearing for lawsuit against Blevins) and be exonerated. But by that time, they've already stolen the job," Blevins said.

When asked for a reaction to the name "Ken Blevins," Coomer said, "Gone."

Asked to elaborate, Coomer said, "I believe it's a very good thing. Mr. Blevins is a very nice person. I've only met him through his service with Sebastian County, but possibly he made some mistakes on the front end, and I'm going to move forward."

Guthrie agreed. "There have been so many pressures put on this office that were unnecessary over the last couple of years, and we're going to make them better next year. I think everyone will be relieved to go forward. We're ready and what we were told wouldn't last three months, wouldn't last six months, has lasted 22 months."

Coomer and Guthrie were referring to a dispute that started with sexual harassment allegations against Blevins that are pending as well as the wrongful termination of two Circuit Clerk’s Office employees in 2011.

Blevins fired employees Tyanna Caldwell and Cassie Vega on Nov. 16, 2011, but a grievance committee ruled Dec. 7 that he did not have proper cause. A subsequent order from Sebastian County Judge David Hudson required Blevins to allow the two employees to return to their jobs.

Blevins refused and had a Sebastian County Sheriff’s deputy escort the women out of the office. Blevins later allowed the women to work after facing a contempt of court charge.

Coomer and Guthrie addressed "divisions" in the office that remain as a result of the incidents.

Guthrie said there was "a division of people by management that didn't quite understand the duties as they were required to be done."

"I saw so many things go wrong. I couldn't do anything. Six circuit court judges couldn't do anything – an outside judge, the federal judge, the county judge. I thought, 'Well, the only thing I can do is run for office myself, and try to make it better.' There have been many divisions and groupings of divided people and rearranging of people depending on – I'm not sure what the factors are. This is not like any management style I've ever seen before," Guthrie said.

Coomer admitted the biggest obstacle was "getting the office back together working as a team. There is a lack of leadership, a lack of good work ethic that definitely needs attention. That will be my priority."

One thing Coomer suggested during the forum that drew fire from Blevins was the possibility of "asking for resignations and for each clerk who wants to continue employment be on a three- to six-month probationary period."

"There are some great deputy clerks who are in the office now. I certainly don't want to lose good employees. Then there are others that may need consideration for one reason or another," Coomer said.

"If you take her plan to let people submit their resignations and decide which ones to accept, that's constructive termination," Blevins said after the forum. "Because you're saying, 'In order to stay employed with me, you have to give me your resignation.' If they resign, they lose their unemployment benefits. So that's unethical."

Blevins continued: "This bull-crap about disgruntled workers – Denora, if you go back to the television ads, she introduced all the workers in my office on television as her campaign workers."

Coomer clarified afterward that she had "not specifically thought of one person."

"I want to give them the option to come and work for my team and let me lead and get them on the same page as I am. It's the work product. We've got to get back to public service. We're missing it with all the turmoil."

OFFICES AND CANDIDATES
According to the Sebastian County website, the Circuit Clerk is responsible for “filing, docketing, attending court, issuing of notices, records management, and reporting to the Administrative Office of the Courts.”

Other duties include preparing a list of prospective jurors, docketing cases of the respective courts, issuing summonses, subpoenas, writs and warrants related to each case, attending court, swearing witnesses, and maintaining records of the civil, criminal and juvenile divisions of the Courts and preparing transcripts of appeal proceedings.

Coomer, court administrator for Sebastian County, has worked in the same position for close to 29 years.

Guthrie is in her 15th year working for the Sebastian County Circuit Clerk’s Office. Her latest position is as “computer liaison with the county IT (information technology) department,” she explained.

COUNTY CLERK
The Sebastian County Clerk position acts as “official bookkeeper” of the county and serves as Secretariat to the Quorum Court, Secretary to the Equalization Board and Official Voter Registrar. The County Clerk also issues marriage licenses and records mortgages and deeds.

Brooks, the incumbent County Clerk, has been an employee of Sebastian County for 22 years serving part of that time in tax collection and as system comptroller. Brooks was elected to her sole term as County Clerk in 2010.

Johnson, an office manager at Automation Engineering, was employed by the County Clerk’s Office from 2000-2011, during which time she served four years as office manager at the Greenwood Office.