NATCHEZ — Four candidates are seeking the office of Adams County Chancery Clerk.

To help voters be better informed when they visit the polls, The Natchez Democrat submitted a short questionnaire to each candidate and asked for their response in writing. For space considerations, candidates were asked to keep their answers to each question to 100 words.

The chancery clerk serves as the official recorder of minutes for the county board of supervisors, prepares the claims docket and all county payrolls and ultimately signs all checks and payments the county makes.

The clerk is also the keeper of records for the county, including deeds, mortgages, liens, notices of lawsuits and military discharges. The office also stores land rolls, tax receipts and other county records in the long term.

As clerk for the chancery court, the office also handles matters of estate, guardianships, conservatorships, divorces, child custody, adoption, property disputes and other matters of equity.

The questions and answers candidates returned are presented below with candidates’ names in alphabetical order.

Why are you running?

DONNIE HOLLOWAY: When Mr. O’Beirne made it known that he would not run for re-election, I knew that I had experience and qualifications to run. Due to my current elected position becoming an appointed one, I want to continue serving the citizens of Natchez/Adams County in a similar capacity.

JACK LAZARUS: When Tommy O’Beirne first told me that he did not plan to seek re-election, I began to think about who had the combination of education, experience and background to be the next chancery clerk of Adams County? One of my colleagues suggested, “Jack, with your experience, you would make a perfect candidate.” And it is true. No other candidate possesses my unique blend of chancery experience, legal education and practice. Add to that maturity and compassion, and you can easily see why Jack Lazarus is running for this office. I can truly make a difference.

BRANDI LEWIS: I am running for chancery clerk because I want to serve our community, and I want to use my business and law degrees for the benefit of all Adams County citizens. Due to the complex legal issues faced by the chancery clerk, I believe it is important to keep an attorney in the position of chancery clerk. I will have an open door policy and will be there to assist all citizens of Adams County with whatever needs they may have. I will treat every person with respect and fairness.

JOE MURRAY: Once I heard that the office of chancery clerk was going to be vacant, I immediately knew that I was the right person for the job. My entire 24-year governmental career has been spent serving all of the people of Adams County. My passion for people is what has kept me on this career path. Through my responsibilities and experiences as your county administrator I have developed an understanding of all aspects of county government. I have been a dedicated, hard-working and successful employee that gets results and I want to continue this service as your next chancery clerk.

What, in your opinion, is the most essential function of the clerk’s office and why do you think that?

HOLLOWAY: The Clerk’s office has a wide range of vitally important functions and they are all necessary. The most essential, in my opinion, is the responsibility for maintaining quality indexing that is necessary in filing or researching documents, including but not limited to, deeds, mortgages, construction liens, federal tax liens, pending lawsuits, estates, guardianships, child custody and property disputes, is most essential because indexing needs to be accurate and current so that it is easily and readily available to those who are customers, so to speak, of the Clerk’s office.

LAZARUS: By far, the most important function of the office of the Chancery Clerk is the recording, indexing, maintenance and preservation of our land records. All deeds, mortgages, oil and gas leases, timber deeds, modifications and most powers of attorney are recorded for posterity in the office of the chancery clerk. It is imperative that those records be perfectly accurate. All searchers, attorneys, bankers, abstractors and land men depend on accurate, well maintained and preserved land records. Mistakes or misfiled records are not acceptable. That is why it is important that the Chancery Clerk be trained in the law and understands the sometimes-subtle differences between legal instruments. Jack Lazarus has that training and that understanding.

LEWIS: The most essential function is maintaining the files and land records of the chancery court. The chancery court is a court of equity and handles cases such as divorces, estates, conservatorships, guardianships, and drug, alcohol and mental commitments. It is important for the citizens who have cases before the chancery court to have their records managed in a correct and professional manner so they can have their cases resolved in a timely manner. With regard to the land records, you want to make sure the documents and title to the land are in proper order.

MURRAY: First, let me say that all duties of the clerk are essential. But, I certainly feel that being the treasurer and auditor for the county is the most critical function of the chancery clerk. The county’s finances are the gas that makes the engine run. With no gas or bad gas, your vehicle goes nowhere. Without financial stability in the county, it will affect services to the people including the sheriff’s office, the road department, the county’s court systems and even to the appropriations made to outside agencies and entities. The chancery clerk again is the individual responsible for this.

During recent candidate forums, candidates have listed their different interactions with the chancery clerk’s office as qualifications for the office. What about your experience makes you the best, most-rounded candidate to handle all the duties of the clerk’s office?

HOLLOWAY: Because someone has interactions inside the clerk’s office doesn’t qualify you to run the other side of the counter. Although other candidates listed interacting inside the chancery clerk’s office as a qualification, I am the only candidate who has been elected by the people to serve in a capacity similar to chancery clerk. As an elected official, a certified clerk for the state of Mississippi, along with knowledge of and experience with Mississippi laws and statutes regulating public office sets me apart from the other candidates. I will be ready to hit the floor running the first day in office.

LAZARUS: My 31 years of experience renders me the best and most well rounded candidate to handle all the duties of the chancery clerk’s office. More than 25 years as special master in chancery (court), handling virtually all involuntary commitment hearings gives me special insight into the needs and problems of the mentally ill and their families. No other candidate possesses this unique experience.

In addition, I have experience in all areas of chancery practice: estates, divorces, guardianships, conservatorships, emancipation, name changes and all other chancery matters. Managing the chancery docket will come easily for me. Jack Lazarus has been tested, and he has passed the test.

 LEWIS: The clerk wears a lot of hats, and a great number of them are legal in nature, such as acting as a court appointed conservator, guardian, executor, and administrator.  My legal education affords me the knowledge needed to handle all legal matters faced by the clerk. In my current role as a staff attorney for the chancery court, I already assist the deputy clerks with legal issues that are presented to the clerk’s office. The clerk is also the county treasurer managing the funds of the county. My business and banking background will assist me in handling these duties.

MURRAY: The chancery clerk and I attend four annual educational conferences together, including one that is exclusively held for administrators and clerks. I’m also the state president of MACAC (an educational association comprised of administrators, chancery clerks and comptrollers). Through these avenues, we learn, share and network, giving me knowledge of issues, requirements and duties of the clerk’s offices statewide. As administrator, my current responsibilities for departments and their employees, county records management through the Dept. of Archives and History, and the management of our $25 million budget gives me the financial and administrative experience that the chancery clerk must have.

 What would you add to or change about the current operations of the office?

HOLLOWAY: I would like to enhance the present online records program because right now it can only be accessed on computers in the office of the Clerk. As I stated the night of the first political forum, it is my desire, if feasible and cost effective, to implement a records management program that is specifically user friendly and can be accessed after office hours and outside of the Chancery Clerk’s office.

LAZARUS: One thing Jack Lazarus would not change is the staff. My goal is to keep as many of the deputy clerks in place as possible. But one change I would like to implement is to request that Merit Health Systems to reserve one or two hospital rooms for our mentally ill patients. At present, the mental patients are housed in the county jail until transfer to the state mental hospital. This system is, in my opinion, unacceptable. Our patients deserve to be cared for with courtesy and respect, and Jack Lazarus will work hard to get this done.

LEWIS: I would like to see the youth of Adams County more involved in our public offices. It is my plan to offer more internships for the youth in our area. I also promise to always greet you with a smile and an open door. Lastly, I plan to establish a private meeting area for those coming to the clerk’s office in need of drug, alcohol, and mental commitments for themselves or a loved one. Due to the emotional and confidential nature of commitments, privacy is of utmost importance.

MURRAY: If you’re responsible for something, you’d better know it yourself before entrusting it to others. I’m not a delegator! Once in office, I will learn every aspect of the clerk’s office. This, too, has made me a successful administrator. To say what should be changed without first being in the position and seeing how the office operates would be premature. As chancery clerk, I will listen to the needs of everyone. This is an office for all the people. Once elected, I will begin to make the changes necessary to make this the best office for everyone. This, I guarantee!