Attorneys whose practice requires them to rely on the public records in the City of Charlottesville have been talking behind doors for years about the deficiencies of the Circuit Court Clerk's Office. Court records which are mis-indexed so that they cannot be discovered in due diligence , land records which were supposed to be accessed online years ago but still are not in a useful way , and customer service that requires weeks of advance notice and an appointment to probate a will after a family member's death.
Only once every eight (8) years do we have a chance to change this office, and it is this year. The job of Clerk of Court, held by Paul Garrett for over 30 years and yielding a salary of $112,000 plus all the perks of government employment, is up for election. Llezelle Dugger is the candidate who can bring respectability to this public office in the City of Charlottesville.
"There is no reason why the Charlottesville Circuit Court shouldn't be on the cutting edge of not only technology but how we treat the public," Dugger said when announcing her bid for office. Having won election to the Charlottesville School Board in 2007, she is a seasoned candidate who can run a good race for Clerk. (She and her husband Alan have two daughters who are in our public school system.) She also has the credentials for the office, having practiced law in town for over 15 years. Currently an attorney with the Public Defender's Office, she has plenty of opportunity to interact with the Clerk's Office and to know what the issues are as well as opportunities for improvement.
On Saturday, August 20th, the Democrats will vote in a firehouse primary at Burley Middle School from 9am - 7pm to nominate their candidate for this office. The incumbent and another challenger will all be on the ballot. With no other apparent candidate of any party nearly as well qualified by experience and character as she, I am throwing my support behind Dugger. I hope any Democrats in the City will take some time on that Saturday in August to affect a much-needed revolution for all citizens who care about the integrity of our public records and a well-run office.
