Grand Jury Meeting on Registrar’s Position

The Stephens County Grand Jury will narrow down the names of applicants for the position of Stephens County Registrar and Elections Superintendent today at a meeting.

Stephens County Administrator Phyllis Ayers said the grand jury will meet today with her to go through the names of about 20 applicants for the position vacated back in August by Theresa Kelley.

According to Ayers, two names will then be given to Mountain Judicial Circuit Superior Court Judge Rusty Smith to make the appointment.

During the early part of this year, Stephens County had combined the Registrar’s and Elections Office with the Probate Court’s Office in what was called a cost-saving measure because Kelley could assist with Probate responsibilities and Probate could assist with Elections.

That move was looked into by the Georgia Secretary of State’s Office, which allowed it and dismissed the investigation into the set-up.

However, Ayers said that the new Registrar and Elections Superintendent will not work under that set-up.

She said, instead they will work in their own office and report directly to Ayers.

Ayers said that will require increasing this year’s budget and also will eliminate the savings that the county was expecting to see from that original combination of offices.

Also, Ayers said Probate Judge Glenda Ernest will be able to move forward with hiring a part-time position for help in her office.

She did say that the county will make sure it has additional people in place to help with elections if necessary, instead of just one as was the case previously.

“We will have more than one certified,” said Ayers.

Ayers said that there is no set timeline for Mountain Judicial Circuit Superior Court Chief Judge Rusty Smith to make the appointment of the new Elections Superintendent and Registrar.

However, she said he is aware of the need to fill the position as quickly as possible to have someone in place by the end of the year to be ready for a busy election year in 2016.