Attorney Robert Altman for county clerk of circuit court
Published October 21, 2004
Circuit Court Clerk Jed Pittman's re-election slogan boasts of "service, not politics." If that's true, why do his most promising achievements materialize during his re-election campaign?
Pittman has been in office 28 years, a tenure that had gathered him some acclaim. He is a former winner of the Clerk of the Year award from the Florida Association of Court Clerks, a past president of that statewide group and currently chairman of the governor's guardianship task force. He has assembled a competent staff to run his office, the duties of which include maintaining court records, paying the county's bills, recording the actions of county government and auditing its finances.
Pittman was the first constitutional officer in Pasco County to make public information available to personal computer users via a dialup program. But, eight years ago, the last time he faced an election opponent, he promised technological innovations to make records more accessible to the public. His performance here has been disappointing.
Pittman was slow to embrace the Internet, leaving him conspicuously absent in 1999 when Property Appraiser Mike Wells, Elections Supervisor Kurt Browning and Tax Collector Mike Olson jointly funded a project that made information from all three offices readily available with just the click of a mouse. Later, Wells' office made real estate deeds available free of charge on his Web site because Pittman did not.
Though the clerk launched his own Web site in 2001 and made numerous records available electronically, the promised user friendly database of criminal records hasn't materialized, contradicting the Web page, which said those will be available in October 2004. During a recent interview, Pittman said the county may have to bite the bullet and invest in new technology for its criminal court records. The current system dates to 1977 and is shared by the offices of the clerk, sheriff, state attorney and public defender. We're glad Pittman recognizes the relic needs replacing. But, perhaps a more appropriate time to make that pitch would have been a year ago when Pittman returned a $377,104 surplus to the county. Instead, he offered a suggestion for how the commission should spend it: on flood control.
This month, the clerk's office began a new service to allow people to pay traffic tickets with a credit card over the Internet - a convenience already available in neighboring counties. Pittman also said his office is working to begin accepting electronic filing of legal documents. The efficiencies are a positive step. Perhaps Pittman should face an election every year. This year his opponent is Democrat Robert Altman, a New Port Richey lawyer specializing in wills, trusts and estates. He is the brother of County Commissioner Peter Altman. Robert Altman said he was motivated to run for clerk because he found the office's probate division inefficient. We don't agree with his contention that deputy clerks should accept changes to legal documents over the phone, nor should making the office more convenient for Altman's Bar association acquaintances be the most compelling reason for change. But a change is needed.
Altman promised to work cooperatively with other agencies and constitutional officers, a trait frequently absent under Pittman's tenure. For instance, Altman said he would station an employee at the tax collector's satellite offices so people denied a driver's license renewal because of outstanding traffic tickets can pay them immediately without having to make a separate trip to the courthouse.
Altman has a low political profile compared with his brother's, but he is not a community service neophyte. He is a past president of the Seven Springs Rotary and chaired the club's Odessa rodeo and festival.
Pittman's performance has been adequate, but not exemplary. His reluctance to embrace information technology in a timely manner is disconcerting. The public shouldn't have to wait four more years for the next wave of office improvements. The Times recommends Robert Altman for Pasco County clerk of the circuit court.
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The Times offers candidates not recommended by its editorial board an opportunity to reply. Candidates should send replies no later than 5 p.m. Monday to: C.T. Bowen, Pasco editor of editorials, St. Petersburg Times, 11321 U.S. 19, Port Richey, FL 34668. Fax: 727 869-6233. They can be e-mailed to Bowen@sptimes.com or sent through our Web site at www.sptimes.com/letters/ Replies are limited to 250 words.
