MADISON COUNTY — Two Democratic candidates are vying to be the one to challenge Madison County Recorder Linda Smith in the fall General Election.
Kristy Douglas of Pendleton and Barbara Joy of Markleville are on the ballot for the Tuesday, May 8, primary election, with the hope of winning their party’s nomination to face the incumbent.
Both primary candidates have backgrounds that would serve well the elected office they’re seeking, they said.
Douglas, 38, worked in the recorder’s and clerk’s offices in Porter County from 2003 to 2007 before she and her husband moved to the Pendleton area to rear their family.
She worked in the recorder’s office for a year before being promoted to the clerk’s office, where she stayed until moving.
Now that she’s settled into life in the county, Douglas said she would like to get back to the type of work she enjoys doing.
“There was a lot of interaction with clients and judges and filing all kinds of paperwork,” she said.
While she hated leaving the job, her plan has always been to get back into the public service field once her children were older. When she saw the election coming up, she thought it would be an ideal position for her to seek.
“I’ve been wanting to get on at the court house for a while now,” Douglas said. “I’m excited about it because it’s something I really enjoyed doing.”
She has three years of college education and is working as a veterinary assistant.
Douglas loves doing paperwork, she said, and is excited for the opportunity to get back to a job for which she is best suited.
Joy, 60, is already serving the community. She works in the Anderson clerk’s office as a secretary where she acts as a liaison for the clerk and town leaders.
Joy ran for the county recorder position four years ago and lost to Smith, who was also running for the first time. Still, Joy feels she has a good chance to win the Democratic nomination again and a better chance to beat Smith this time around.
“I like Linda (Smith), we’re friends, but I still want the job,” she said.
Joy started working for the city in the purchasing field when she was a teenager after graduating from Anderson High School. She then worked at the corporate office of Carter Express trucking in Anderson for 23 years, before heading to the county assessor’s office for four years, and then to the clerk’s office as secretary.
“I’m a real paperwork geek,” Joy said. “I love detail, and I feel like the job (county recorder) is my forte and that I can do it.”
One objective she said she would pursue should she become recorder is to try to make government less scary for residents. She would like to set up public outreach opportunities in local communities, where people would be able to meet with representatives of the office and have questions answered.
“I love government, but I know people can get intimated by it,” Joy said.
She’s also is a stickler about protecting people’s identification and knows the importance of guarding governmental paperwork, she said.
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The Recorder’s office is a constitutional office dedicated to recording the vital documents that determine ownership of property. The Recorder’s office is responsible for the preservation of a wide range of documents including deeds, mortgages, liens, leases, subdivision plats, surveys, land contracts, UCC filings, military discharges.
Source: madisoncty.com
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