County clerk candidates weigh in

Two candidates are seeking the Republican nomination for Roosevelt County Clerk in the June 3 primary election. Both candidates responded to a series of questions from the Portales News-Tribune:

Beverly Bennett

Age: 58

Profile: She has been a real estate broker and manager since 1993 and has been on the Planning and Zoning Commission since 2000.

What do you believe needs to be improved in the county clerk’s office?

I’d just like to see it become a more welcoming environment and a more knowledgeable place of information for the residents where you can get answers for the residents. I want to give them the best information possible. One of the things I think we need is to educate the office staff. The more I learn about the office, there’s a lot you need to know. There’s a lot of federal and state laws and the government keeps creating more. You need continuing education for everybody. I’d love to see all the public records online.link Beverly Bennett

link DeAun Searl

Since the clerk position deals with conducting elections and various records, name a few ways in which you are organized.

Document, document, document. I copy everything; write down everything. It’s important to have a backup, you can’t always trust computers.

With the previous county clerk resigning because the duties conflicted with her personal beliefs, will you have a hard time separating your personal beliefs from the job?

There are a lot of things in society that I don’t agree with but that won’t keep me from doing my job and duties as county clerk.

How do you plan to make the office more user-friendly?

I think getting up and serving the client when they come in a timely manner with a smile on my face. I also think if we can get that information online for them and being knowledgeable. There’s a lot of information to know but you can’t let that stop you, you have to try and know it all.

Why are you the best candidate for the position?

I think because I have some maturity, I’m organized, I’m tech-savvy, I’m punctual, I’m detailed, I’m knowledgeable, I’m determined to get things done. I like Roosevelt County, it’s my home. I need to see it progress. I’ve been in real estate and I’m ready for a new challenge. With my personality and skills, I think it’s a good fit for me.

DeAun Searl

Age: 43

Profile: Searl is the current county clerk and was appointed by the Roosevelt County Commission to fill the seat’s vacancy after the previous county clerk resigned in December. She served in clerk’s office for six years before her appointment.

What do you believe needs to be improved in the county clerk’s office?

Online documents. Right now we just have the indexes online so they’re searchable, they just don’t have images. We’re working on redacting personal information so that it doesn’t get onto the Internet. It’s very time consuming because each document has to be read. Identity theft is what we’re trying to prevent. That’s a project we’re working on and I’d like to see it through to its finish.

Since the clerk position deals with conducting elections and various records, name a few ways in which you are organized.

Elections have so many deadlines that calendars are what I use. I also utilize (Microsoft) Outlook calendars and Google calendars. I also put reminders on my phone for unusual events and in the office, we complete each task that day so that there’s nothing left over to worry about the next day as much as possible.

With the previous county clerk resigning because the duties conflicted with her personal beliefs, will you have a hard time separating your personal beliefs from the job?

No, I don’t have a hard time separating my personal opinions from work. I took an oath of office to follow the law. That’s what I do.

How do you plan to make the office more user-friendly?

Definitely by putting our documents online. Changing from traditional precincts to voting convenience centers. That’s what I’m doing now. Education and cross training my staff.

Why are you the best candidate for the position?

Experience, knowledge, passion and career. I chose this as my career path. My passion lies in doing the best job I can for the county. I have acquired my knowledge through the job and attended education classes on county government. And six years experience allowed me to handle this crisis (the recent relocation of Roosevelt County offices) so that the voters can vote. This is where experience matters.