To the editor:

One of the most important jobs in our county government is that of the Superior Court clerk.

The county clerk is more than a secretary or an administrative assistant. The clerk is responsible for understanding and supervising the day-to-day workings of the court, organizing and maintaining the flow of documents through the system, collecting and disbursing money coming into and out of the court, and upholding the integrity and reputation of the clerk’s office.

Judges Hancock and Churchill, every attorney who submits documents to the court on behalf of a client, and all parties involved in cases but who are not represented by attorneys depend on the knowledge, competency, integrity and efficiency of the clerk’s office.

Debra Van Pelt has been deputy clerk for five years. She knows the job. She has a thorough understanding of the statutes and laws that are the office’s guiding principles. She has seen first hand what works, and what does not, and she has some great ideas for making the office more productive and efficient.

The staff in the clerk’s office knows Debra and hold her in high regard. They trust and respect her knowledge and management skills because they have seen the job she does, and they know the job she would do serving as the Island County clerk.

It is commendable that Ms. Fortune is concerned about Island County to the point that she would be willing to serve in elected office. However, now is not the time to put a well-intentioned but inexperienced person in one of the most important and demanding positions in county government. Years ago, Ms. Fortune worked as an administrative assistant and morning janitor at the university she attended. Respectable work, to be sure, but hardly the experience that would qualify one to do the job of Island County Superior court clerk. The job demands a specific set of skills and a highly technical level of experience and knowledge that Debra Van Pelt brings to the table. If elected, Debra Van Pelt will not need to be trained. On the contrary, if Ms. Fortune were to be elected, it would likely be Debra Van Pelt who would be training her.

I have worked in the legal community in our county for seven years, and I know this: Island County does not need a candidate for the clerk’s office who will require on-the-job training if elected. Island County needs a candidate for clerk who will hit the ground running. That candidate is Debra Van Pelt. Please support Debra Van Pelt for Island County clerk.

Lisa Hanna

Langley