Two familiar faces in Snohomish County Superior Court are vying for the critical position that helps keep the wheels of justice turning: county clerk.
Incumbent county clerk Pam Daniels is seeking a third term, while victim advocate Sandy Fitzpatrick is hoping voters will install her as county clerk on Nov. 4.
If voters return Daniels to office, it will be her last hitch because of term limits. She was first elected in 1995 and took office the following year.
"I want to have four more years to finish some very exciting projects," Daniels said.
"At the end of my last term, we’re going to be doing clerk’s office business and meeting the needs of the court and the public and the law and justice agencies in ways never before dreamed of," she said.
Those projects include the electronic filing of court documents and electronic payment of court fees, fines and restitution.
Fitzpatrick has worked for 16 years in the court system. She’s been a victim advocate in the Snohomish County Prosecutor’s Office for nearly six years and worked for seven years as a family law facilitator in the clerk’s office.
"I’m used to managing really high volumes of work and caseloads and working with people," Fitzpatrick said, adding that she has worked on criminal and civil cases.
"I would be a very good administrator. I understand all the ins and outs of the clerk’s office and what they do," Fitzpatrick said. She said she’s also kept current on the other operations of county government.
"I will not just talk the talk. In a position like that, I will walk the walk," Fitzpatrick said.
Daniels said voters should pick her because of her experience in office and the skills she has developed. She has worked for 29 years in the legal profession in the private sector as a paralegal, administrator and manager before seeking public office.
"I have managed this office for eight years within budget and with positive annual state audits," Daniels said. "And in these difficult economic times, we need a clerk that has the experience, knowledge and expertise to manage this office."
Daniels, 57, lives in Edmonds and has been a Snohomish County resident for 22 years.
Fitzpatrick, 54, has lived her entire life in Everett, except earlier when her former husband was a Navy pilot.
Fitzpatrick has never before sought elected office. She isn’t running a traditional campaign and isn’t accepting campaign contributions or putting up yard signs, "much to the dismay of people who have been in the political arena. That seems to be sudden death," she said.
"I’m not a politician," Fitzpatrick explained.
The nonpartisan position pays about $80,857 annually and carries a four-year term.
The county clerk runs a department with approximately 85 employees and an annual budget of about $6 million. The clerk’s office receives and processes documents for the Snohomish County Superior Court system and assists in court proceedings. The clerk’s office also maintains court files, records and exhibits and manages court-related fees and fines.
Reporter Brian Kelly: 425-339-3422 or kelly@heraldnet.com.
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