ISSUES 2000

By Cindy Carpenter

Clerk of Courts, Cindy Carpenter, has earned national recognition for combining the best of government and technology. She continues to set the pace in Ohio.

As Clerk of Courts, I'm proud of the reputation my administration has earned for combining the best of government and technology. The Butler County Clerk of Courts office operates with a staff of 68 employees and an annual budget of $2.3 million. Services are provided to the community from offices located in Hamilton, Middletown, Fairfield and West Chester.

The Clerk of Court's duties are divided between two important divisions. The Legal Division maintains vital court case records, manages jurors, collects and distributes over 10 million dollars annually in court costs, and provides administrative support to the Court of Common Pleas. The Title Division offers a wide variety of services including motor vehicle and watercraft titles, US passport services, and voter registration. Our title offices generate over 30 million dollars a year in revenues from the collection of fees and sales tax.

Butler County residents can now be confident in the sound financial management of the Clerk's office. I know that Butler County citizens expect results for their hard-earned tax dollars. Boasting a mere 3% increase in the annual cost of operations, my administration has returned more than 4 million dollars to the County General Fund and more than $17 million dollars to the public.

I believe that the biggest challenge of the future is to meet the needs of Butler County's growing population while continuing to provide convenient, friendly, customer service. We can meet the standard of service, the public expects, by creating innovative technology solutions. The state of the art computer network, put in place under my administration, will serve as the foundation to build new technology projects.

One such initiative, soon to be launched, is a countywide Justice Information Network designed to collect criminal history information. This project is a collaborative effort of the Clerk of Courts office, Court of Common Pleas, the Prosecutor's office, Butler County law enforcement agencies, and the local courts. The benefits to citizens from developing a justice agency network are immeasurable. Complete and accurate criminal history information will be available at the click of a mouse, enhancing law enforcement's ability to protect citizens against violent offenders.

In coordination with the Attorney General's Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation, my office is also piloting a project called WebCheck. We predict that the WebCheck system will become a valuable resource to Butler County employers. Employers will be given quick access to criminal history information to ensure that only qualified individuals are hired to care for our family members in schools, daycare centers, and nursing homes.

However, technology is not the only solution to address the challenges of the 21st century. Technology must be combined with listening to the needs of the community and developing non-traditional ways to improve government.

My administration has a proven track record of adapting and changing to meet the needs of the community. We have responded by providing night-time and weekend hours, 24 hour a day Internet access to court records, and opening convenient, one-stop-shops in coordination with the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles.

I remain committed to bringing new ideas and ways of doing business back to Butler County. On the state level, I serve as a member of the Ohio Criminal Justice Information Services Policy Board, the Ohio Jury Management Association, the Legislative Committee of the Ohio Clerk of Courts Association, and as a member on several other key policy making boards. I am frequently afforded the opportunity to review the successful programs of other counties and to share the nationally recognized programs developed by my office.

As Clerk of Courts, in the 21st Century, I will be faced with many new challenges, but I will also be given the incredible opportunity to continue to make a difference and improve areas that impact the lives of every Butler County citizen.

I remain deeply grateful for your support and look forward to continuing my service as the Butler County Clerk of Courts.

With Appreciation,

Cindy Carpenter