Standing outside the door of the county clerk’s office in Elizabethtown, Brian Smith pledged that a branch location once again would open in Radcliff if he’s elected to serve as clerk.
The Radcliff location, which handled vehicle transfer and license tag renewals, closed in November 2018. Smith hopes that decision remains a hot-button issue in the November 2022 general election.
A Republican who works as director of economic development for Congressman Brett Guthrie, Smith is challenging Debbie Donnelly, a two-term Democrat who has spent much of her professional life in the clerk’s office. He announced his intention to run outside the former office location back in April and filed the required paperwork Monday afternoon with the clerk’s staff at the County Government Building.
“When I talked about reopening the Radcliff office, I thought that would really matter to people in the north part of the county but it’s the thing I’m hearing even in Cecilia, even in Upton, even in Glendale,” he said.
Donnelly said continuing to maintain two offices wasn’t economically feasible for the office, which is self-sustaining financially based on fees associated with its services. No tax dollars or county government subsides go toward its operation.
Smith renewed his pledge to resume services in northern Hardin County to better serve Radcliff, Rineyville, Vine Grove, West Point and employees at the Fort Knox military reservation.
Some reasons that justified the second location changed six years ago, Donnelly said, when the clerk’s office was part of the county government move from the Public Square in downtown Elizabethtown to the new government building near the intersection of Ring Road and Patriot Parkway.
In addition to being four miles closer to Radcliff and accessible by major roads, Donnelly said the new facility has ample parking for customers doing real estate, vehicle registration or other paperwork with the clerk.
“Sometimes you have to make hard decisions and you’re not going to satisfy everybody,” Donnelly said in an interview Monday. “That was a hard decision that had to be made.”
Donnelly said many factors went into the closure decision including staff training. “I looked at everything,” she said.
Speaking to his supporters before filing Monday, Smith suggested the decision had a more personal objective.
“Government is supposed to serve the people. We are not supposed to serve the government,” Smith said. “The closure of the Radcliff office only made life easier on one person — the county clerk.”
Donnelly said residents familiar with her would not agree.
“I would never do anything to hurt a community,” she said. “I hope people realize that.”
Donnelly also defended her office’s responsiveness and community focus. While the pandemic temporarily resulted in long lines of people waiting at the government building, she noted that the Hardin County clerk’s office, unlike others in the state, never closed. It provided sidewalk service and adapted it’s office entrance and protocols to keep employees and customers safe.
“We always gear ourselves toward great customer service,” she said. “And that’s what we’re here for.”
Another issue raised by Smith was limiting voters to four locations during the June 2020 primary election at the height of pandemic restrictions. As examples, he cited Daviess and Warren counties with similar registration numbers, which opened more voting places. The four locations in Hardin County were the same, Smith said, as those offered in Green County, which has one-tenth the number of voters.
Donnelly said voter feedback about elections during the pandemic was exceptionally positive with praise for the speed and professionalism exhibited. She said voter turnout approached 24% in the primary and exceeded 54% in the general election, which was a historic high.
Smith stressed that he does not want the Radcliff office issue to be a divisive matter in the community.
“I want to be a unifying voice for the county,” he said.
