Trust and integrity — two words that are often used together to describe the qualities we associate with goodness and stewardship.

Take away trust and integrity and bad things almost certainly follow.

Two counties — Adams and Jefferson — are wondering if those words were missing from the two individuals trusted with managing public funds.

Indictments have been handed down to Adams County Circuit Clerk M.L. “Binkey” Vines and Jefferson County Circuit Clerk Burnell Harris. Each is charged with mishandling public funds. Vines is charged with breaking state law, Harris with breaking federal law.

The two cases may be different in nature, but they share one commonality — the position of circuit clerk.

Obviously, Vines and Harris are innocent until proven guilty and we would hope that each would do the right thing and step aside until they’re proven innocent. The cloud of suspicion does nothing but tarnish each office while the men wait their day in court.

From a state level, however, our legislators need to take a serious look at the cases and what’s going wrong with the antiquated system under which circuit clerks are paid. Essentially, each circuit clerk operates the office as a separate, private business.

As if the complicated fee system used isn’t silly enough, each man will likely earn a portion of his pay based on filing his own indictment paperwork and other fees collected in such cases.

Our state needs to come up with a better system and one that provides better oversight into the financial goings on inside the courthouse. Let’s get a system that restores some trust and integrity into our government, before it’s too late.