Laura Crowley and Brenda Jarrett are candidates for the Republican nomination for Texas County clerk. Following are their answers to questions presented by the Herald:
TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT YOURSELF AND BACKGROUND.
LAURA CROWLEY: I moved to Texas County in 2001 with my two small boys, John and Nathan. I married Bill Crowley in 2003 and gained three more children in this union. We are now proud grandparents of six! In 2003 I graduated nursing school and although I’m not practicing I still use my skills to help my family. I worked in our family business, Crowley’s HomeWorks for 12 years working with the public. I enjoy people and love to help find solutions. I am a member of the Houston Lions Club and on the board for the Missouri University Extension.
BRENDA JARRETT: Texas County is my home. I was born and raised in Cabool. I graduated from Cabool High School, went to college and returned to Cabool to live with my family. My husband, Ed, and I have been married 34 years. I taught English, speech and drama, and journalism at Cabool Schools for 31 years. I also taught for Drury University for 10 years. I earned a bachelor’s degree in education; a master’s degree in education; and a master’s degree in educational administration during my career.
I worked with a school/community youth group for 22 years in order to teach young people what it means to give back to the place they live. I encouraged them to return to their hometowns to live and work after they graduated from high school, trade school, college or the military.
I am a life-long member of the First United Methodist Church of Cabool and serve on the church board and sing in the choir. My civic contributions include Burdine Township clerk, Cabool School Board, Cabool Park Board, Ozarks Older Iron Club, Cabool Cemetery Association, Cabool Senior Citi-zens Housing Board, Cabool Community Betterment Board, Cabool Revitalization Group Inc. board and Houston Area Chamber of Commerce executive director. I am currently employed at Jarrett Enterprises Inc. and have served as the secretary and payroll clerk for 34 years.
WHAT LED YOU TO SEEK THE POST OF TEXAS COUNTY CLERK?
CROWLEY: The post sought me! After the untimely passing of the previous clerk, the Republican Party asked me to run in the special election. I was surprised, as I had never been active in local politics. After much prayer and deliberation, I decided I would like to be the county clerk and I ran. I was blessed to have won the race and appreciate the faith and trust the voters placed in me and I want them to know it was not unfounded. I am working hard in my position to do the best I can to help the county run as smoothly as possible and when problems arise I will always work hard to find a solution that benefits all.
JARRETT: I made the decision to seek the office of clerk so that I can spare the Texas County taxpayers the cost of dual payment for tasks assigned to the county clerk’s office. Last December my township board was made aware that the county budget was prepared by an outside source rather than the county clerk. Both the person hired to prepare the budget and the clerk was compensated for the task. I decided at that time to pursue the office of clerk and give the taxpayers a fair day’s work for a fair day’s wage. As Burdine Township clerk, I have worked closely with the Texas County clerk’s office for the past nine years. I learned a lot from long-standing former clerk Don Troutman during his tenure in that position. For the last year, our township has experienced delays in communication and paperwork from the clerk’s office which caused issues regarding paperwork that our board has had to complete in a timely manner. I am a self- starter, a hard worker and a fast learner and know how to study in order to do a good job at whatever task I am assigned. If I do not know the answer, I will find it. If I do not understand a job, I will study until I learn it. I will be a full-time clerk for the citizens of Texas County.
IF ELECTED, HOW DO YOU FORSEE YOUR ROLE?
CROWLEY: Having served as your county clerk for the last year and a half, I am fully aware of my role and the expectations of the office. I will continue to work diligently to continue to save the county money and make our tax dollars go as far as I can. I have saved the county a large amount of money by contacting our vendors who charged late fees and explaining our pay schedules and that has removed a lot of late fees and unnecessary charges we should not be paying. I have worked and negotiated the best price in a lot of aspects of the county’s business and will continue that trend. Last year we purchased new election equipment we really needed. I secured a great price for the machines by purchasing demos that came with an excellent warranty. I am a strong negotiator and will continue to do so. Don Troutman aptly described the office of the clerk by stating it is the “nerve center” of county government. My office handles so much, ranging from daily administration, to conducting elections and everything in between. To make us more accessible to the public, one of the first things I did coming into office was to eliminate the closing of the office during lunch. We are fortunate enough to have enough people we can rotate lunches and make it a full-time office to meet the county’s needs.
JARRETT: If elected, I want to learn each portion of the job in order to make the workings of the office smooth and communications dealt with in a timely manner. I believe that there are trustworthy, capable people already working in the office to teach me what I will need to know. In comparison, as Burdine Township clerk, I am the person who oversees the workings of the board. I take notes and write up minutes to capture what is happening at each meeting. I make sure that the board is aware of the statutes regarding township governance so that the township business is following the letter of the law. I work with the board to create the annual budget. I make sure all meetings are posted and minutes are available to the taxpayers. I know there is much more to the county clerk’s office but I am willing to learn and become the leader that is needed to improve on what is currently in place.
WHAT MAKES YOU PROUD ABOUT COUNTY GOVERNMENT?
CROWLEY: I am proud of our county government because we all work hard for the benefit of the county as a whole. It isn’t easy to predict the needs before they arise and plan ahead but we certainly try. Tex-as County is in good financial standing because of those plans. We have seen some difficult times lately and what makes me most proud is how we are trying to work together to improve the situation. There have been long nights and lost sleep but we have all worked hard and now have a good plan to move us forward.
JARRETT: Texas County is a great place to live and work. Our county is blessed with many caring, devoted people who work in the county government. They go to work each day to do the best of their abilities to work for the taxpayers of the county. It would be an honor and a privilege to work with these fine people.
WHERE DO YOU SEE ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT?
CROWLEY: I think there is always room for improvement in everything but I think having a good rapport with the public is very important. I think as elected officials we work very hard for you and I think you should know what we do, why we make the decisions we do and how it benefits the county. One thing I personally would like to see happen is digitalizing records like the recorder’s office did several years ago. In my office there are many older records that date back to the organization of the county. I would like those to be accessible to the public via the internet and preserved so we can enjoy them for many years.
JARRETT: As I am focused on the Texas County clerk’s position, I am focused on improving the perception of that office. For example, as a reader of the Houston Herald and a follower of its website, I want to see: articles or posts of agendas announcing commissioner’s meetings; minutes following commissioner’s meetings submitted to the media in a timely manner so that readers will be more in-formed about decisions of their elected officials; streamlining office procedures so that use of technology can be implemented to improve response time for the public and make jobs easier for employees; and simply being in the office and available to answer questions and assist the public.
HOW WILL YOU COMMUNICATE TO THE CITIZENS YOU SERVE ABOUT WHAT IS HAPPENING IN YOUR OFFICE?
CROWLEY: I have an open door policy in my office, not just for my employees or other officials but to the pub-lic as well. I take calls everyday for various topics of interest regarding my office and I would en-courage anyone who has questions to call or stop in and see me. It is never a bother and I will try to help in any way I can.
JARRETT: Communication, especially in today’s world, is imperative. With so many technological advances at practically everyone’s fingertips, being proactive and getting information to the public is necessary. More communication must be established with county news affiliates and should also be linked to the county’s website that is in need of a complete facelift. Along with editing the Southwest Missouri State University newspaper, I also worked as a news release writer for the SMSU information office and know the importance of timely news releases. Timely issuance of agendas, minutes with information from the commissioners regarding decisions made in meetings; plus all election information is a priority in keeping the public informed about the workings of their county government. The closer elected officials work with the people they are representing, the stronger the county will be. By working together, Texas County can become the best place to live and work in in the state of Missouri.