Barbie Barnett-Stillings Answers Questions on Run for Circuit Clerk
The following is an interview with Barbie Barnett-Stillings conducted by the Christian County Sun via email. Barbie is currently seeking the office of Clerk of the Circuit Court for Christian County. Her opponent on the ballot is Amy Russell. You can find interviews for other candidates for county office in Christian County at the August 3 Christian County Election Central Resource.
Sun: Barb, why are you running for Clerk of the Circuit Court?
Barbie Barnett-Stillings: For me, it was an opportunity of a lifetime. People may not realize, but according to the Missouri Judiciary, the Clerk of the Circuit Court is the administrator that is responsible for the clerical duties of the court. With over fifteen years of clerical/office administrator experience and being ultimately responsible for decisions made for a city of 17,000+ people; it seemed logical that I would be very qualified to handle this position.
It all started late last year, when I found out that the current Clerk, Rick Lamb, was retiring. My family and friends encouraged me to look into the position. At the time, I was the Mayor Pro-Tem of the Nixa City Council. Not only was I working full-time as the office manager for the University of Missouri Extension Office in Christian County; but I spent many more hours helping within my local community through my church and local city government.
I could not have done it all without the support of my husband and family.
We asked the Lord to slam the door shut if he did not want us to do it, because we knew if God was in it, he would take care of everything. So throughout the month of December, Mark and I prayed for God’s guidance. On December 31st, I announced my intent not to re-run for city council, but instead run for Clerk of the Circuit Court.
Sun: Now that we know why you’re running, why are you running as a Republican?
Barbie Barnett-Stillings: First of all, I love the Lord with all my heart, and He means everything to me and my family.
So, it was very remarkable (to me) that the Missouri Republican Party Platform stated:
It is our fundamental belief that our morals, our values and our culture are derived from the Almighty God, and we are committed to keeping it that way. To quote the Psalmist, “Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord.” Psalm 33:12
I can relate to those beliefs because I have seen it first-hand through our local churches, charitable organizations, and those individual citizens within Christian County.
Sun: On your website, you listed a several years experience in both customer service & clerical work, as well as Mayor Pro-Tem of Nixa’s City Council. How do you think your experience has prepared you for the role of Clerk of the Court?
Barbie Barnett-Stillings: Using a computer on a daily basis is a big part of this position and working with the public is the other part. I have enjoyed using a computer for over 20 years. From the beginnings of my childhood I have enjoyed interaction with others. I grew up spending time in my father’s lawn mower shop & with my mom, during Real Estate showings. I know how important the day to day duties are and besides being the office administrator, I can use all of those years of customer service and clerical work to work along side the staff.
As a city councilmen and Mayor Pro-Tem, I’ve learned that you cannot please everyone. So you do two things. First, you effectively communicate to those whom elected you into office. That means listening to their problems and helping them find adequate solutions. It also means working with the city staff on a daily basis. Second, you fight for what is best for your people. Again, you cannot please everyone; but you can at least fall asleep at night knowing that you tried to do your best for those you represent.
SUN: What would you change about the way the Clerk’s office is run?
Barbie Barnett-Stillings: First, I will have a meeting with the three supervisors and evaluate the office and work together as a team. They have the pulse of the office.
Second, I would meet with the three Judges in our court system. We will review and discuss the local court rules to see if there are any changes that need to be addressed. Since the rules have not been modified since January 2008, it is our responsibility as elected officials to make sure that our court is in proper working order. We will also address any court procedures outside the local court rules. If changes need to be made, I will take it upon myself to lead a committee of individuals from each department of the judicial system to help implement those changes.
Third, I will re-evaluate our current relationships with other county and city departments. In taking the advice from the State Auditor; communication within our government needs improvement.
Forth, I will begin working directly with the state and county governments in preparing a work program that will benefit both the Clerk’s office as well as the county. With the Christian County Circuit Clerk’s office being forced to consolidate in 2010, it failed to receive any incentives the previous years prior. This decision not to consolidate sooner greatly hindered the further development of our county’s judicial office. In the past, the Circuit Court Budget Committee offered financial assistance if courts needed to allocate money to make it happen.
Fifth, as a representative from the county government; I will develop a closer relationship with the business community, schools, churches and other charitable organizations. It is essential that our County Judicial System listen to the concerns and ideas from our community in developing practices that will better serve those within our county.
Finally, the most important change is to provide a friendlier and more welcoming atmosphere within the Christian County Judicial Center. The Clerk of the Circuit Court is elected to serve the residence of Christian County. We will strive to treat everyone in a respectful and timely manner. We will also communicate reasonable expectations to our clients in a professional approach.
SUN: From talking with people around Christian county, what do you think are the most important issues to people in this county, both in this race and longer term?
Barbie Barnett-Stillings: A lot of citizens I speak with do not even know what the title, Clerk of the Circuit Court means or where the office is located. I think it is important to get the word out about how the office can help them.
On a county level – The repair of our reputation, people in Christian County are sick of being the topic of jokes when it comes to their county government. I think we are on the right path to changing this reputation. We must continue to do more positive things to get our name out in a good way.
SUN: Christian County has been growing and changing quickly for several years. What is your vision for the future of the county as it continues to grow and change?
Barbie Barnett-Stillings: Christian county has a great source of citizens that make it so successful. We will only continue to grow, but we must have a plan. That plan includes the courts. As I said earlier I will want to go over the court rules to ensure we are doing what we can to help serve the needs of the citizens as the county grows.
SUN: Why should Christian County voters cast their ballot for you?
Barbie Barnett-Stillings: In one word . . . INTEGRITY.
I try to share with people my love for the county and the citizens. CARING, DEDICATED, LEADER is what I strive to live up to. The office of Clerk of the Circuit Court is where I am the best qualified to serve. This type of work is not unfamiliar to me. Neither is serving the public.
Having many years of experience in customer care and clerical administration, as well as receiving a Business Administration in Management degree (while working full time in my late 20’s) was an honorable feat for me. On top of that, I volunteered my time in many charitable organizations that helped the community. Finally, it was a tremendous honor to serve my hometown of over 17,000 residents as a city councilman and Mayor Pro-Tem.
