County Clerk Candidates Answer Questions As Race Heats Up

Hopefuls Basile and Benton Get Down to the Nitty Gritty

OTSEGO COUNTY—On Saturday, October 14, Otsego County clerk candidates Jennifer Basile (REP, CON) and MacGuire Benton (DEM, CSE) sat down with Iron String Press General Manager/Senior Editor Darla M. Youngs to discuss their thoughts about the position, campaigning, and politics, address their critics, and answer some tough questions. The interview starts here and can be found in its entirety at AllOtsego.com.

JENNIFER BASILE

I’m hearing a lot of feedback from readers who feel that the role of county clerk really should not be an elected position. Should it be an elected position or an appointed position? Why? [Editor’s note: Outside of New York City’s five counties, all county clerks are elected for a four-year term and are also the land records recorders for their respective counties. New York City’s five county clerks are appointed, and only the Richmond County Clerk (Staten Island) serves as land records recorder in that county.]

In my opinion, I think the position should be appointed because of all the knowledge that you need to have to perform the role. It’s kind of like, you wouldn’t want somebody running for treasurer that doesn’t have any [accounting] experience whatsoever.

Your opponent has referred to you as a “lifelong bureaucrat who has never held elected office.” One of the definitions of “bureaucrat” is “overly concerned with procedure at the expense of efficiency or common sense,” which seems to be where he is going with that. Do you see yourself as a lifelong bureaucrat?

No.

Do you feel there is any evidence that procedure in the clerk’s office takes precedence over efficiency and common sense?

No, other than [adhering to procedures] the state says that you have to follow in both our office and DMV. If the state says, no, you can’t do this, then yes, I’m going to follow their procedures.

That being said, you have worked for 14 years in the County Clerk’s Office. Do you think there is such a thing as being too familiar with the job? Are there benefits to a fresh, new perspective?

This is a position that requires a full working knowledge of the offices in order to effectively lead. This is a working role. You have to be able to answer customer questions, staff questions, attorney questions. There’s nothing that can prepare you for leading the county clerk and DMV offices other than having direct experience working in the office. Our retired State Senator Jim Seward has said, “Even as a 34-year veteran state senator, I would not be qualified to properly administer the County Clerk’s office.” Of course, being the deputy for someone, there are ideas that I’ve kept in the back of my head that I have wanted to implement, but is not my office. [Among other things], I am looking at enhancing transaction processing, extending DMV hours, and extending our copy and notary services.

MACGUIRE BENTON

I’m hearing a lot of feedback from readers who feel that the role of county clerk really should not be an elected position. Should it be an elected position or an appointed position? Why?

Well, you know, that’s not really for me to decide. The Constitution of the State of New York makes that decision and I’m gonna stick with that. [Editor’s note: Outside of New York City’s five counties, all county clerks are elected for a four-year term and are also the land records recorders for their respective counties. New York City’s five county clerks are appointed, and only the Richmond County Clerk (Staten Island) serves as land records recorder in that county.]

In a recent press release, you said “I’ve built my plan for the Clerk’s office and DMV…” If you were successful in your campaign, how much would reopening a DMV office in Oneonta cost? How much would a mobile DMV cost? Where would the money come from? What’s your plan?

So it took about a quarter million dollars to operate it. It brought in the revenue that it took to run it. I think that’s what’s really important for people to understand, that the department is a revenue generator. I hope to partner with the City of Oneonta on their transit hub project. The city has a $6.5 million dollar federal DOT grant. I would like to lean on the city as they proceed with that transit hub project, hopefully for it to be built with the intention of housing a DMV in it. I think [we] can keep costs really low for local taxpayers. Of course, there’ll be administrative overhead on it. Salaries in the DMV are between $30,000 and $40,000, you figure. I think it can be done with three staff. You know, originally it did have four. We’re looking at $100,000.00 or so in salaries. Again, what’s really important is, despite there being initial costs associated with reopening, the revenue that it brings in will pay for it. It will end up a wash for taxpayers.

When that office closed, are you suggesting that the revenue that office was making went to other counties?

No. When the office was open, 10.75 percent of every DMV transaction stayed in the county. That was a good thing. Closing the [Oneonta] DMV is the problem. You know, they don’t want to, in the middle of July come to Cooperstown and try to find a parking spot. It’s not convenient access at the main office here. You go through security and, you know, it’s a headache, and if you’re relying on public transportation, the bus stop is a quarter mile from the front door of the county building. If you’re a senior citizen, and have mobility issues, that’s not convenient. It’s not accessible.

Read the full interviews at AllOtsego.com.