Name: Theresa Barreiro
Position for which you are a candidate:
Kane County Circuit Clerk
Why are you seeking this position?
As Circuit Clerk I would like to make the office a model for other offices to aspire to. I will work hard to collaborate with judicial, legal and government partners to increase the performance of the office.
What experience and background do you have which qualifies you for this position?
I have nearly 30 years of experience in local government and the private sector. Previously, I worked for the city of Aurora, the Kane County Clerk’s office, and a financial advisor. At the city of Aurora I worked in various divisions and held various positions; Office Manager of Inspections and Permits, as well as deputy city clerk. At the County Clerk’s office I was state registrar for birth, death, and marriage records, and voters registration. I have prepared, maintained and presented budgets. Currently, I am serving as a Kane County board member where I have served for eight years. In that capacity, I had oversight of the county budget and voted on policies. While serving on the Kane County Board, I have held leadership roles on various county committees. These previous positions and experiences have given me a solid foundation to serve as the Circuit Clerk.
What will be your highest priorities if elected?
I would like to serve as a full-time Circuit Clerk. I will be available daily to assist the staff with the operations of the circuit clerk’s office. This pandemic will bring many challenges going forward. Revenue streams for local government will be impacted requiring lean budgets. The public will continue to face economic hardships and unable to pay court fees. Local government will continue to be front and center of social equity issues. There are many issues confronting the circuit clerk’s office. I would begin with a survey of internal and external customers as well as focus groups to be able to assess needed changes. I would also implement work teams to address long standing issues including integration problems with the computer systems. I would like to work with staff to develop long range goals and establish performance measures with benchmarks for accountability. I also want to help the office to become more efficient through the use of technology and process improvements. For example, I want to implement a Freedom of Information portal on our website. This would allow the public to see the information that was approved for release and requests that are not available to the public. This would help reduce the burden to the staff for a more efficient office. I would like this office to be a model for other’s to follow.
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