What does the Circuit Court clerk do? I'm not asking about each employee of the office, I'm asking about the actual clerk that is elected. I already know; their job is to know and oversee the functions of the office. They manage the budget and make sure the quality of work meets high standards to service the courts and citizens of Hamilton County.
Larry Henry knows about service. His livelihood depended on pleasing the customer. Further, he knows about managing a budget. As a small business owner Mr. Henry couldn't go print more money like Washington politicians. He had to stay in budget.
Larry Henry has been a good steward of the people's money too. Hamilton County has rode the rocky waves of budget constraints. Larry Henry has been a guiding hand through the county's budget process.
It's this experience that each elected office needs. It's this experience that will guide my decision when voting for the next Circuit Court clerk.
George Jackson
Hixson
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The job of Circuit Court clerk is a management position and does not need legal training or police training. The person who has established budgets and lived within those budgets and has managed a staff and met their payroll is the qualified person to be Circuit Court clerk.
For 40 years Larry Henry honed his skills as a manager of a small business; this experience is invaluable to the position he is seeking. We know that Larry has been chairman of the Hamilton County Commission five times, and as chairman he has had to manage the Commission and assist in setting its budget as well as the budget for the entire county. Larry proved as Commission chairman that he could manage a panel of nine people who all have different personalities and agendas; during Larry’s tenure on the Commission or the five years he was chairman, I do not know of any instances when we, the citizens, were embarrassed or concerned for the leadership of our county.
On a personal level, I know Larry to be a man who is committed to his family, his church and his community. I am one of the fortunate people who call him friend, and ask all voters to consider him when they vote for Circuit Court clerk.
Marti Rutherford
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I was at the “Chattanooga Tea Party’s” event this past Thursday and the local candidates had a chance to speak. I listened to Larry Henry and I noticed a conflict. He stood there and admitted that he did not know the jobs in the Circuit Court clerk’s office, but also claimed he could manage the office.
Well, I’m not sure what kind of managing system he uses but in the real world, “You cannot manage what you don’t know.” I’ve worked in an office where the boss did not have the knowledge and experience to be the manager and it was pure chaos. I mean he managed his previous job but he knew that. Our office required extensive knowledge and technical experience and he did not have that. It did not work out in the end and he was removed.
I have not seen any evidence that Larry Henry has knowledge of the courts and any legal experience at all. If anyone thinks that’s not required of the courts they're wrong. How can a “court clerk” serve the court without the extensive knowledge and the technical experience that is required of the court process? It just won’t work. Vote for someone else; let’s not put the Circuit Court clerk’s office in “chaos”.
Angela. Gill (Chattanooga)