Four candidates
vying for position

By Mary Garrison
Tribune-Courier Features Editor
mgarrison@tribunecourier.com

MARSHALL COUNTY – The Marshall County Clerk’s seat is wide open, but if Matt Barlow, Troy English, Crissy Greer or Tim York have anything to do with it, it won’t be for long.

Each of the Marshall County natives are vying for the position, and right now, the game is anyone’s win.

Barlow spent some seven years in the United States Army, working much of that time in Iraq to build and maintain military computer systems, networks and operations. He returned to Marshall County in 2007 and soon thereafter went to work for Property Valuation Administrator Tony Henson in the county’s GIS office.

Now, he hopes to bring the experience and drive he said he has developed along the way to the office of Marshall County Clerk.

“I feel like I can bring a lot to the office,” Barlow said. “I’m not afraid to work. Anything I’m doing I’m dedicated 120 percent to doing it.”

Barlow said if elected, he would like to bring the office, and eventually all of the county’s operative offices, into the technological age.

“I want to set up online services for the office where people can go and register their car or pay their taxes,” Barlow said. “But just because you can do it with a computer doesn’t mean you can’t do it the old way.”

Barlow said citizens would still have the option to come into the office to handle business face-to-face, though he hopes to improve online access for all residents of the county.

Barlow said he hopes to improve the efficiency of county offices by one day linking them in a faster, more fluid single network.

Regardless, Barlow said his main objective is to serve the community. Once he returned home from Iraq and joined the Democratic Executive Committee his life-long interest in politics strengthened, and he began looking for offices his experience would best be suited to serve the community.

“All I can do is be on the ballot and see what the people think,” Barlow said. “All I’ve ever wanted is to serve my community, and I think I can do that well in this office.”

English said he, too, has always had an interest in politics, and he’s kept an eye on the County Clerk’s office for several years. Now, he’s determined to step up to the plate.

English said his work with the public has given him a unique edge.

“I’ve worked in the private sector my whole life,” English said. “I’ve dealt with the issues of the everyday person, and I know what they need. I’m going to be accommodating to those needs.”
English said in the current economic climate, it is important for residents to maintain work schedules, and taking time out during the week to attend to required business can be difficult.
For this reason, English said, he intends to open the clerk’s office for at least a half day on Saturdays, for citizens to take care of business.

“We’ll face challenges because we’ll be the only office open,” he said. “But my father taught me that in any public job, you’re a public servant first and foremost. We’re going to go that extra mile.”

English said his goal is to bring the kind of service to the office that he would want to be greeted with, and to help, he will put his own nose to the grindstone as a working clerk.

“When you walk through that door I’ll be sitting right there to wait on you,” English said. “You’ll be treated like the most important person on the planet, because in that moment, you are.”
Clerk’s office employee Crissy Greer said she, too, hopes to offer the best customer service possible to the office. However, as an employee of the office for the last eight years, Greer said she has an insight on what residents need to accomplish that goal.

Greer said if elected, like Barlow, she hopes to bring the office up to date through the technology of the internet.

“I want to set up a website where people can download forms, get answers to commonly asked questions of the office and find out what they need to bring or have on hand for their visit,” Greer said. “People spend so much time making repeat trips into our office, and I think that would help to eliminate that problem.”

Greer said she hopes to use the site to offer tutorials and draw attention to services the clerk’s office already has to offer, as well.

“A lot of people don’t realize it, but you can already pay for your tags and registration online,” Greer said. “We might have one or two transactions a month, though, because no one seems to know it’s there. A website would, hopefully, make people more aware of their options.”

Greer said she intends to look into the costs versus advantages of accepting debit and credit cards in the office.

“Because we operate on tax dollars, it’s something I’m going to have to look at the expenses on carefully first,” Greer said. “I’d love to be able to offer it if we can, though.”

York said he, too, hopes to keep the operations running in a smooth and professional manner, and with his experience in finance, he feels he could best ensure that it does.

York has served as Marshall County Treasurer since 1997 and been a licensed Certified Public Accountant since 1983.

“Experience counts,” York said. “We all know that. I think I have the experience you need to be county clerk.”

York said his financial qualifications give him the edge most needed to run the office well.

“It’s a big, scary job, and I don’t think many people realize that,” York said. “That office collects $8 million of tax money every year.

“There is so much that goes into that place every day,” York continued. “Every deed and mortgage recorded, every marriage license, personal property lien — they’re all recorded in the county clerk’s office.”

York said his time as the accounting department manager and in the treasurer’s office lends itself well to managing the county clerk’s position and its operations, which include all of the county’s voting administration and election results.

“A lot can go wrong without any ill-will,” York said. “It’s not something to take lightly.”

York said it is execution of the job which is a primary goal and not politics.

“I’m not a politician,” York said. “As far as I’m concerned, this is like a job interview. To me, the only thing political about this is that you have to run.”

Still, York said one of his primary objectives is, and always will be, to continue to see the office run effectively and in a friendly manner.

“You’ve got to make sure you bend over backward to treat everyone well and fairly,” York said.

He said that virtually everyone at one time or another must conduct business in the clerk’s office, and often, it is viewed as a chore. York said he hopes to change that.

All four candidates are running on the Democratic ticket. The outcome will be decided on the May 18 primary.