Campaigns for the Onondaga County Clerk’s Office began this week, as the Democratic and Republican parties narrow down their candidates.

The position of county clerk, who maintains legal documents and public records related to business, property ownership, and civil and criminal cases, will be up for election in November, said Chele Stirpe, secretary of the Onondaga County Democratic Committee.

Republican M. Ann Ciarpelli, the current county clerk, will not run for re-election in the fall, according to a March 21 article by The Post-Standard. Ciarpelli has held the position of county clerk for the past 16 years.

Sandra Schepp, a Manlius Town Board member, received the Republican Party’s backing to run for Onondaga County clerk on Saturday. Schepp won the seat for Republican candidacy over Rory Sweenie, a Geddes principal deputy county clerk; Chris Plochocki, a Marcellus deputy county clerk; and Kathleen Guthrie, a Camillus clerk supervisor in the clerk’s office, according to the article.

Stirpe, the Onondaga County Democratic Committee secretary, said the Democratic Party has not yet officially decided on a candidate for the office, but Syracuse real estate broker Gary Morris has expressed interest in the position. Stirpe said the party will officially announce its candidate later next month.

Schepp, the Republican candidate, said she decided to run for office because of her business background and previous government experience with the Manlius Town Board.

‘I’ve had an interest in government all along, and running for this office just seems to be a natural transition for my career,’ Schepp said.

If elected, Schepp said she plans to bring a new and more efficient way of doing business to the office by implementing the use of new technologies.

‘I think it’s important to bring new technology into the office,’ Schepp said. ‘I would like to see more electronic transferring of information to make filing paperwork and obtaining information easier and more efficient.’

Schepp said she and her campaign team will be working diligently from now until November to get the public educated on her candidacy.

‘We’ll be knocking on every door in Onondaga County to get our message out there,’ Schepp said.

In the coming months, Schepp and her team will also be working on researching ways to improve the county clerk’s office, she said.

‘Ann Ciarpelli has done a great job in office, but we’re hoping to move further with the position,’ Schepp said. ‘We’ll be looking at county clerk offices in other counties, like St. Lawrence County, to see how they do things and find ways that we can improve.’

Gary Morris, the potential Democratic candidate, said he is interested in running for office because he believes he has the skills needed to improve the county clerk’s office.

Morris said his lifelong roots in Onondaga County combined with his business experience, including his administrative position at the Dunbar Association and his position as an adjunct business professor at Onondaga Community College, make him an ideal candidate for office.

‘The professional qualities I possess are not your daily qualities, and I think we need someone with that kind of skill set to bring a whole new set of eyes to the office in November,’ Morris said.

Morris said his campaign plan is centered on bringing the public’s attention to the county clerk’s office.

‘A lot of people come up to me and ask me what exactly it is that the county clerk does,’ Morris said. ‘I want to make sure the county knows how important this office is in the county’s daily functions and where I stand in my candidacy.’

If elected, Morris said the first thing he plans to do is evaluate the way the county clerk’s office is run and work on ways to improve it.

‘I want to first identify the problems and concerns that exist in the administration of the office and create the best practice to make the office run efficiently for the staff and for my constituents,’ Morris said.

Like Schepp, Morris plans on visiting other county clerk’s offices in the area to find ways to improve the office for Onondaga County.

Said Morris: ‘I am more than willing to do the research and whatever it takes to bring this position a fresh start.’

adhitzle@syr.edu 

Published on March 27, 2012 at 12:00 pm