ELECTED or APPOINTED

Why Elected and Appointed Officials Both Matter in County Government

County government works best when there is a balance between elected officials who answer directly to the people and appointed officials who provide specialized expertise. Each has an important role, and when that balance is disrupted, it changes how accountable our local government is to the citizens it serves.

Recently, our county counselors heard arguments suggesting that the County Clerk should no longer be an elected position, but instead be appointed by the County Manager. At first glance, this may sound like an efficiency move. But in reality, it raises a much bigger question: who should the Clerk be accountable to—the people, or the County Manager?

Right now, the Clerk answers directly to the voters. If citizens are unhappy with the performance of the office, they have the power to make a change at the ballot box. That accountability is immediate, direct, and essential to maintaining trust in how our courts and public records are handled.

If the Clerk became an appointed position, accountability would shift away from the people and toward the County Manager. This would concentrate even more authority into a single office and reduce the independence of a role that deals with vital public records and judicial support functions. The risk is not just inefficiency—it is a loss of transparency and a weakening of the public’s voice in county government.

Our system works best when the public has a direct say in who manages the offices that affect their daily lives. Keeping the Clerk as an elected position preserves that balance and ensures accountability remains where it belongs—with the people.