Article Contributed on: 9/7/2006 11:11:08 AM
My name:
Jack Arrowsmith
Age: 56
Position running for: Douglas County Clerk and Recorder
My family: Married for 31 years to my wife
Joan, a librarian for Summit Middle School in Jefferson County. Daughter,
Krystal, 23 years old, attended ThunderRidge High School in Highlands Ranch and graduate of Metro State College of Denver.
What I do: Currently serving as Douglas County's Public Trustee. I am the first appointed public trustee of Douglas County and have been serving in that position
since January of 2003. The public trustee stands between owner and lender on deeds of trust and oversees releases of deeds of trust and non-judicial foreclosures.
My favorite place in Douglas County to hang out: My wife and I have been residents of Douglas County for 23 years. When we can find the time, we love to sit on our deck and enjoy the wonderful weather of Colorado.
What I like most about living here: Although Douglas County faces many challenges, we are also blessed in many ways. We have a wonderful mix of rural and urban lifestyles. Only a few miles separate the shops of Park Meadows from the spectacular scenery of the Pike National Forest. This county has invested significant dollars in preserving open space, and developing local and regional parks and trails. In addition, we have an unprecedented spirit of cooperation between municipal and county government to work together in partnership to maintain an extremely high quality of life.
My Interests and hobbies: I am currently a State board member for The Colorado Youth and Government Program. My hobbies include golf, cooking and hiking.
What are my favorite things to cook: I enjoy cooking and do much of the cooking on weekends. Beside the normal barbecue fare, my staples include chili, lasagna and jambalaya.
People who inspire me (and how): Writers - I am a big science fiction fan. Three writers that immediately come to mind are
Jules Verne,
Isaac Asimov and
Arthur C. Clarke. All three of these authors have or had the ability to predict the future and stretch the limits of our imagination. On the political side, I would have to say
Abraham Lincoln and
Ronald Reagan. Lincoln came from a very humble background and through sheer determination was able to hold this nation together during one of our darkest times. Reagan was a master communicator and had that rich combination of charisma and common sense.
How I have contributed to the community: Prior to serving Douglas County as public trustee, I served as a citizen volunteer for three years on the Citizen's Economic
Advisory Project, three years on the Douglas County Open Space Advisory Committee and five years (includingtwo years as cice chair and one year as chair) of the Douglas County Planning Commission.
How I have contributed to the community: I am currently serving as a citizen volunteer on the following committees: chair of the Education Committee for the Secretary of
States eRecording Panel, and Vice Chair of the Statewide Internet Portal Authority. In my capacity as Public Trustee, I am serving a fourth year on The Colorado Public Trustee Association's eBusiness Committee and a third year on the legislative committee.
What are the biggest issues facing Douglas County now: As a candidate for clerk and recorder, I think several challenges lie ahead.
The county must continue to strive to deliver the highest possible service at the lowest possible cost. We need to find creative ways of using technology to assist in the delivery of these services.
In the Motor Vehicle Department we must allow constituents to renew license plates over the internet 24/7. Now that the State Portal has developed a payment engine, this service should start as early as next year. The county needs to be prepared to offer this service to our citizens the minute it becomes available through the State Revenue Department.
Although not a required function of the Motor Vehicle Department, we need to find a way to issue drivers licenses once again in Castle Rock. Either as a function of the Revenue Department or the County Motor Vehicle Department, it is important to once again provide this service to our citizens.
The Recording Office has made terrific progress in the area of eRecording. Douglas County was the first County in the State to offer this functionality. The challenge now becomes how to encourage adoption of this technology. This must be an extremely high priority for the recording department if we are to realize the enormous efficiencies possible through eRecording.
In the Elections Division, our use of election centers and the new eSlate voting machines has been a great success. The challenge now is to perfect this process to make sure we realize its full potential. We need to analyze how many centers are needed for both the primary and general election to maximize efficiency and reduce costs. We are seeing a great deal of interest in absentee ballots, and this also must be factored into the county "game plan."
Although the clerk is responsible to implement election laws established by both the federal and state governments, I believe clerks have the added responsibility of being an advocate for the citizens. We need to let our legislators know what implications and possible unintended consequences these laws have at the ground level. I believe my three years on the Public Trustee Legislative Committee will serve me well as I have had vast experience with testifying for the legislature and working with numerous citizen and business groups to move legislation forward.
Finally, in an era where our county is focused on both homeland security and the impact of illegal immigration, the Clerk and Recorder has an important role to play. Currently each division in the Clerk and Recorder's office has different standards in regards to proper documentation. I will push for a single standard that can be used to verify an individual's identity and bring consistency to all three divisions. We must develop standards that can be used both in person and over the Internet, if government is to realize the benefits of new and efficient technology while validating proper identity recognition.
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