Speculation Starting On 2010 Clerk's Race

Successors Lining Up for Ann Blakely's Job Editor's Note: You may also want to read Keith Clark's comments on Democrat Chairman's John Trabold's Letter to the Editor of August 29 on e-Lee Dispatch Plus. (Click here to read it, Also don't miss the column UnCommon Sense in Wednesday's Herald.) The 2008 election season is just getting underway and there is already talk of who may run to follow Ann Blakely as Lee County's Clerk of Court. All the supposition is based on the unsubstantiated speculation that Blakeley will have resigned or will not seek another term. For weeks rumors have been flying that Cameron Sharpe, newly elected school board member was interested in the post. There have been reports from numerous people that he had shared the information in confidence. He is a former parole officer, and so his background has some connection to the clerk's office and attorney's in the the county. Apparently in response to the spreading word about Sharpe's interest, Butch Johnson, who challenged Kevin Bryant in the sheriff's primary in 2006, is said to be considering the race. Often Clerk's of Court resign before their term ends in which case the chief judge in the district names a new clerk, supposedly giving that individual the advantage of incumbency. The clerk of court is one of the highest paying jobs in the county at approximately $80,000 although workers in the office get modest salaries that sometimes make recruiting them from other clerical jobs difficult. Sharpe's original intention in the last election was to to run on the Republican ticket but was unaware that he had to change his party registration at least 90 days prior to the election. He then filed in the non-partisan school board election where party affiliation is not an issue. As one would expect, the clerk is responsible for all clerical and record-keeping functions of the superior court and district court. However, the clerk also has numerous judicial functions: The clerk is judge of probate - that is, the clerk handles the probate of wills (proceedings to determine if a paper writing is a valid will) and the administration of estates of decedents, minors and incompetents. The clerk also hears a variety of special proceedings such as adoptions, incompetency determinations and partitions of land and is empowered to issue arrest and search warrants and to exercise the same powers as a magistrate with respect to taking pleas of guilty to minor littering, traffic, wildlife, boating, marine fisheries, alcoholic beverage, state park recreation and worthless-check offenses.