Four Republicans and two Democrats vie to replace the longtime clerk of court, who is retiring.
By GRAHAM BRINK
Published May 19, 2004
TAMPA - Hillsborough Clerk of Court Richard Ake has faced just one opponent in the nearly 18 years since his initial election.
Now he's retiring, and Ake's decision has set off a political scramble to replace him.
So far there are six candidates - four Republicans and two Democrats - vying to be picked to take over a staff of about 835 and a $50.3-million budget. The clerk's office is also responsible for investing about $1-billion in annual county collections.
The winner will replace a courthouse icon. Ake has spent 37 years with the clerk's office, including almost two decades at the helm.
Courthouse insiders respect Ake for his leadership and his diplomacy in dealing with other offices, from the State Attorney's and Public Defender's offices to Hillsborough's County Commission. Ake has also kept his office out of major scandals.
"We didn't get a lot of press," Ake said last week. "That's fine with me. It means things were going along well."
At the same time, the office, though improving, is generally regarded as woefully outdated technologically, and not a particularly user-friendly place for the average citizen.
The clerk's office keeps the county's financial books, and stores, maintains and catalogs its official records. The job requires processing and safeguarding a mountain of paperwork.
Last year alone, the office recorded 43,856 civil and 20,546 felony cases. The office also handles various other cases, including probate (3,533), juvenile (14,737), family law (12,264,) and domestic violence (6,796). The office processed 237,003 tickets, issued 130,792 jury summons and performed 2,687 marriage ceremonies.
The office acts as the county's auditor, as well. It also is responsible for preparing minutes of the meetings of the County Commission and for the processing and maintenance of ordinances, resolutions, contracts and agreements.
The candidates to replace Ake consistently cite improving technology at the clerk's office as a top priority.
The most outspoken on the issue in interviews with the Times last week was Republican candidate Stephen Hall. He said he has firsthand knowledge of the way the clerk's office operates from his 25 years working in the judicial system, mostly with the Court Administrator's Office.
Hall, 57, described the clerk's accounting system as "19th century." He also targeted some of Ake's top managers, saying their leadership style is "archaic" and "not motivational." The attitude Hall said he encounters often comes across as "very negative."
He said he wants to instill a more can-do and user-friendly style. Hall said he has hands-on experience managing the Court Administrator's Office's $37-million budget, which would help him if he becomes clerk.
"The clerk's office needs a dose of 21st century technology," Hall said. "There are a lot of good people there who need the right tools to do their jobs."
Republican Chris Hart also expressed the user-friendly mantra, though he did it in less critical terms. Hart said the next clerk must build on Ake's legacy by maximizing the existing technology and also finding new approaches.
Hart, 59, said one of his goals would be to ensure that users could access more records using the Internet or over the phone, a process set in motion by Ake. Many of Ake's top managers are also expected to retire in the next year or so. Hart said dealing with the turnover would have to be a top priority.
Hart was a county commissioner from 1994 to 2002 and was chairman of numerous boards, including the Public Transportation Commission and the Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council.
"I have the qualifications, background and experience to run the office," Hart said.
Republican Jim Downum, 53, said the leadership and staff should not assume that users know where to go or how to negotiate the system, whether it be on the computers, the telephone or in person.
"Even the phone system can be difficult," he said. "People get transferred two, three or four times. That leaves both the customer and the staff frustrated."
Downum spent 30 years in the judicial system, first as a probation officer and supervisor with the Department of Corrections, then as a projects manager with the Court Administrator's Office and finally as the Hillsborough State Attorney's Office's administrator of community and court programs.
"There is an awful lot of talent in that office," Downum said. "There is also wealth of talent that is not being tapped."
Republican Bob Zegota, 55, said the office needs to be redesigned on a business model that emphasizes customer service. He said he has been researching the office for a year. The main complaint he hears: The office is not customer-oriented.
The first thing he would do if elected is make sure a real person answers the phone. Callers should not be transferred around an electronic phone system for minutes at a time, he said.
"The office needs to be aware of its customers, its clients, and apply the hallmarks of a good business," Zegota said.
Zegota is an independent contractor with the real estate services company Grubb & Ellis. He has worked in commercial real estate for 25 years. Before that, he was a sales and general manager for recreational vehicle and mobile home companies.
"I'm the only full-time businessman in this race," Zegota said. "I bring a fresh outlook."
Democrat Helene Marks, 51, has worked as legal counsel for Ake's office for eight years. She's also Ake's choice to replace him. Marks said she knows the ins and outs of the office and understands how to keep it running smoothly.
Marks said the challenges for the next clerk will include several new legislative changes. For instance, she said, several changes will arise from the move to have the state, not the counties, fund the court system.
The Legislature has given clerk's offices the authority to collect unpaid fees. It also has given the clerk's office some of the responsibility for deciding who meets the requirements for court-appointed representation.
"You need to understand the complexity of the office and how each change is going to affect us before you start making changes," she said.
Democrat Pat Frank, the latest candidate to enter the race, said she is doing research to find out exactly what the users of the clerk's office think needs changing and what should remain the same. She said she has heard anecdotal examples of areas that need work, but she did not want to give any details until she completes her study.
Frank, 74, was elected to the County Commission in 1998 and re-elected in 2002. She has also been a School Board member and longtime state legislator. Her education is in finance, and she called herself a "fiscal conservative." She has a reputation for closely analyzing the county's financial books.
"I've always been very diligent in looking at fiscal details," she said. "That's an important requirement for the clerk."
The qualifying deadline for the clerk's race is noon on July 16, after which new candidates cannot enter the race. The candidates from each party will face off in the Aug. 31 primary. The leading Republican and Democrat will then go on to face one another in the Nov. 2 general election.
