Circuit clerk, coroner hopefuls tout assests at public forum

Candidates for the Fayette County offices of circuit clerk and coroner told residents of the county at a recent candidates’ forum why they are the best choices for those offices.
Vying for the office of circuit clerk are Republican incumbent Kathy Emerick and Democrat challenger Ashley Towler, and the incumbent county coroner, Republican Bruce Bowen, is opposed by Democrat Lori Carter.
For the forum, coin tosses were held to determine the order for opening statements and candidate answers to questions.
CIRCUIT CLERK
Towler told the audience in the Little Theater at Vandalia Elementary School that she formerly worked in the clerk’s office as a deputy clerk handling felony and misdemeanor cases.
She said that she has also worked for a private law firm, during which she “worked with a number of clerk’s offices and sheriff’s offices … and I got to see the different side of everything.
“I got some good input on how circuit clerks maintain their offices. I know the inside of the office and the outside, and I think that makes me well-rounded.
“I’ve seen things that work well and things that don’t work so well,” Towler said.
She also said that her experience in the Brownstown School District has been beneficial. “It has been an amazing experience, but I’m ready for more.”
Towler said that she has learned from her parents (Terri and Randy Braun) “how important it is to have an efficient and effective county government.
“They taught me how to treat people with courtesy and respect, and to always work hard.”
Emerick said that in addition to working as the circuit clerk since being elected in 2012, she has 12 years of experience in office management.
The clerk’s office provides a wide range of services, and the candidates were asked about their familiarity with those services.
Emerick said, “I am quite familiar with all parts of the job … and all of the new programs that we are currently using.”
The Fayette County Board has been dealing with financial issues in recent years, and the candidates were asked if they have any ideas on how to make the clerk’s office more efficient.
Towler said, “Efficieny-wise, I’m not afraid of technology” and that she has experience in technology from working for Brownstown Schools. The district is involved in the 1-to-1 program “and communicating with students is all electronic.”
She also said that before committing to any changes to improve efficiency, “I would like to get in and just look at the staff, and see if there’s anything we could switch around to make it more efficient.”
Emerick said that during her first term, her office “has always been under budget” and that she has operated the office “without spending money that the county could use elsewhere.”
She said that she initiated a program that brought in $250,000 in fines and fees dating back to 1980, and that she is looking at another program that would further improve collections.
Emerick said that she would like to see the addition of video conference, which she believes could save the court system a lot of money currently spent on transferring defendants and inmates.
She also said that she has started looking at a jury program that she believes would be more cost-effective than the current system.
The candidates were asked what they believe are the most important aspects of the clerk’s job, and Emerick said those include building relationships with vendors, agencies, judges and attorneys, and “bringing services to the community in a way that they understand them and that’s convenient.”
She said there is a 2017 mandate on efiling of documents. “We are 13 months out, but we will be starting to set up a personal access system to help people.
“There are a lot of different things I’ve been looking at and hoping to implement in the next term,” Emerick said.
Towler said, “The most important aspect is being meticulous.” As a record-keeper, the office staff has to make sure that records are handled and kept correctly.
On customer service, she said, “The automated phone system that’s currently in the office is just something I disagree with; that will be gone on my first day.
“I am very personable and I like to deal with people one on one.”
Confidentiality, she said, is another key aspect, “and my experience at the school will help me and play a huge role to make this a top concern.”
The candidates were asked why they are running for the office, and Towler said she has “always been involved in county government. My mom was the county clerk for 12 years, and my dad has been involved in county politics for as long as I can remember.
“It’s just kind of in my blood, serving people and having that commitment,” she said.
Emerick said she has always been interested in politics, something that started by serving as a precinct committeeman.
She said she wanted to see “how I could help people, which I really like to do.
“I know what’s going on and how much I enjoy doing the job. I have people that people know they can come in anytime and have a conversation with me, and I like feeling that they know they can do that,” Emerick said.
CORONER
Bowen said that the coroner must be versed in a number skills, and work closely with law enforcement. “I have done that for 16 years,” he said.
He said the coroner must be willing to photograph death scenes, collect evidence and remove a body from a scene, regardless of conditions, and know when to order X-rays, autopies and other tests, as well as how to prepare reports and testify in court.
“The most important thing in all of this is … notifying the family, being there for the family left behind,” Bowen said.
The person in the job “must be readily available at any minute of any day,” he said, adding, “Now more than ever, you need a highly trained professional in this job.”
Carter said that she grew up in Fayette County and moved back in 2015. Her background includes serving as an office manager for 13 years and heading up a biohazard remediation division of an environmental contracting firm, which involved hands-on field work and training, and headed up a coalition that provided community education on drug abuse prevention and rehabilitation.
Three years ago, she said, she achieved her goal of becoming a nurse, first at Sarah Bush Hospital in Coles County and now at Fayette County Hospital Long Term Care.
“My goal is to bring a fresh, new perspective to the office.
“My sincere care and compassion for others, along with my extensive business experience and medical experience, is going to enable me to provide the high quality service that our community deserves,” Carter said.
About the most important parts of the job, Carter said, “First and foremost, I think the important thing is to show compassion, have compassion, along with a desire to help alleviate that suffering.
“I truly want to serve others, help them, being that support for the community in times of tragedy.”
Bowen said that in the past 16 years, the job has become more complicated. “You’re operating with less finances and trying to do more … and people are more dangerous to deal with.
“Being thoroughly trained” is very important, and “the most important thing is, you have to stay attuned with the person who has lost a loved one; I have dealt with many of them over the years,” he said.
When asked about the decision to run for office, Bowen said that while he had initially decided not to run again, he “was getting a tremendous response from medical professionals, law enforcement officials and county voters.”
Carter said, “I knew that no one was on the ballot in the program, and I didn’t want the citizens of Fayette County to go without someone in the position to serve them. I felt that I was being called to serve.”
Local citizens “deserve someone who has the ability to genuinely care for others … and I wanted people to have a choice in the matter of voting for someone.”
Asked what makes a good coroner, Carter said, “compassion, dignity, integrity … the ability to adhere to moral and ethical principles, including confidentiality, respect for the people of the county, for individuals and families of those affected, and respect for the office itself.”
Bowen said, “Number 1, you have to be able to keep your cool,” talking about all of the outside factors when he handled a van crash that left five people dead.
“You have to have the training – I have hundreds of hours of crime scene and death investigation.
“You have to be a very compassionate person,” Bowen said, talking about how he learned that when he and his wife, Peggy, received word of the death of her daughter.
“It has given me the ability to look people in the eye when they’ve lost a child or a loved one, understand all of the changes they will experience, understand how they feel,” he said.