Note to the Voter: Remember that you are the HR person choosing who is best qualified to be a Texas State House Representative. Check out their educational background, their work history, and Community Service. If they are an Incumbents (IN) who Candidates up for re-election what I their voting record. Make sure it matches up with your core beliefs and what they are saying from the campaign trail they support. Which candidate is best qualified over all and lines up best with your beliefs? That is who you should vote for.

About the Office: 

County Clerk-

Const.

Art. V, Sec. 20

Sec. 20. There shall be elected for each county, by the qualified voters, a County Clerk, who shall hold his office for four years, who shall be clerk of the County and Commissioners Courts and recorder of the county, whose duties, perquisites and fees of office shall be prescribed by the Legislature, and a vacancy in whose office shall be filled by the Commissioners Court, until the next general election; provided, that in counties having a population of less than 8,000 persons there may be an election of a single Clerk, who shall perform the duties of District and County Clerks. In addition to serving as clerk for county court and the county commissioners court, a county clerk records and keeps records pertaining to the county courts, county courts at law, real and personal property, and personal records. Other responsibilities include recording vital statistics, issuing marriage licenses, and administering other miscellaneous licensing and recording requirements.

Continuing Education:

The county clerk must complete 20 hours of instruction regarding the performance of the clerk’s duties of office during each calendar year that begins after the clerk’s election or appointment to office. The 20 hours of continuing education required to be completed annually must include at least one hour of instruction regarding registry funds handled under Chapter 117, Local Government Code and one hour of instruction regarding fraudulent court documents and fraudulent document filings.

Source: https://newtools.cira.state.tx.us/upload/page/7851/docs/County%20Clerk/Website-County_Clerk_Duties_x_Responsibilities.pdf

​

The County Clerk’s Office includes three divisions – Records, Courts and Commissioners Court – all led by the elected County Clerk. The staff provides a number of services for the residents of the County, including the recording and maintenance of all Commissioners Court minutes, Official Public Records, and County Court Records. The County Clerk is the historian of the county, responsible for archiving the county’s most important records. Our Records Division maintains birth, death, and marriage records; property records such as deeds and liens; and business records including assumed name certificates and cattle brands. The Courts Division provides support to the County Courts at Law, organizing and managing juries and assisting the judges in their courtrooms and otherwise, supporting probate and guardianship services, and assisting the Mental Health and Veterans specialty courts. The Commissioners Court Division serves as archivist of the Commissioners Court, managing streaming services, providing support during court, and maintaining records of court proceedings, including videos. The position of County Clerk is one of the oldest roles in history, dating back to Greek and Roman days when the County Clerk was responsible for recording property transactions. It existed in England through the Middle Ages and beyond and has existed in the USA since colonial days. It is an elected position in Texas. Although Texas state statutes give the County Clerk responsibility for elections, the  County Commissioners Court voted years ago to create a separate department for elections to be overseen by an Elections Administrator serving as department head. 

Source: https://www.hayscountytx.gov/county-clerk

Qualifications:

District clerks are elected by the qualified voters of each county and hold office for four years. They must meet the following qualifications at the time of appointment or election:

• U.S. Citizen

• resident of Texas for at least 12 consecutive months

• resident of the county for at least six consecutive months

• registered to vote in the county

• at least 18 years of age

• not have been finally convicted of a felony from which they have not been pardoned

• not have been determined by a court to be mentally incapacitated.

Source:

Vacancies:

If a vacancy occurs in the office of district clerk, the vacancy is filled by the district judge of the county. If a vacancy in the office of district clerk occurs in a county that has two or more district courts, the vacancy is filled by agreement of the judges of the courts. If the judges cannot agree on an appointee, then a special election is held to fill the vacancy.

 

In Addition County Clerks vs District Clerks: 

District clerks serve the district courts, which handle felony cases and major civil litigation, while county clerks serve the county courts, which handle family cases and misdemeanors. Both are elected, unless appointed to fill a vacancy. In counties with fewer than 8,000 people, the roles may be combined unless voters opt for separate offices.

Sources: 

1. Texas Government Code § 51.303 ↩︎

2. Texas Government Code § 51.309 ↩︎

3. Texas Election Code § 141.001 ↩︎

4. Texas Government Code § 51.301(a)–(b) 

​​

District Clerk- DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

District Clerks are called on to assure that the affairs of the District Courts are maintained objectively with the full confidence of judicial authorities. The Texas Government Code Title 2, Subtitle D, Chapter 51, Subchapter D states the duties and powers of the clerk of the District Court. “The clerk of the District Court has custody of and shall carefully maintain and arrange the records relating to or lawfully deposited in the clerk’s office.” The district clerk provides support for the district courts in each county. The clerk is the custodian of all court pleadings and papers that are part of any cause of action, civil or criminal, in the district courts served by the clerk. The district clerk indexes and secures all court records, collects filing fees, and handles funds held in litigation and money awarded to minors.

The District Clerk shall:

1. Record the acts and proceedings of the district court;

2. Enter all Judgments of the court under the direction of the Judge;

3. Record all executions issued and the returns issued on the executions;

4. May process passport applications;

5. Process child support orders to the employers;

6. Administer trust accounts for minors ordered by the courts;

7. Keep an index of the parties to all suits filed in district court;

8. Serve as the clerk and custodian of all records for the District Courts;

9. Keep an account of all funds collected by the office, by way of fines and

fees and report to the Treasurer on a monthly report;

10. Manage records so they are easily retrieved for public information, preserved

for permanent storage in archives and dispose of according to law;

11. Gather data and report to State and local agencies (County Treasurer, County

Auditor, Voter Registrar, Bureau of Vital Statistics, State Library,

Comptroller of Public Accounts and Office of Court Administration);

12. Be in charge of the jury selection process to determine the number of potential

jurors required to begin trial, send summons to jurors, process jurors on trial

day and act as liaison between the jurors, courts and employers.

13. The District Clerk may appoint deputy clerks.

Source: https://newtools.cira.state.tx.us/upload/page/5124/District%20Clerk%20Duties%20and%20Responsibilities.pdf

​

The District Clerk’s Office, located in the Hays County Government Center, provides several services for the residents of the County. Comprised of an elected District Clerk and dedicated staff, the office is responsible for providing records of the District Courts’ proceedings, implementing District Court decisions, and administratively supporting the respective courts and judges.

https://www.hayscountytx.gov/courts/district-clerk​

Salaries​/ Pension- To be determined.

​

​