This year, Hatley will face off against two other elected officials, Candy Burgin and Alex Patton. Burgin currently serves as the chairwoman of the Lincoln County Board of Education, and Patton is the chairman of the Lincoln County Board of Commissioners.
The Lincoln County position requires supervising 20 people and pays $83,390. All Republicans, each candidate points to life and work experience as preparation for the job.
A look at the candidates.
The incumbent: Hatley was an educator for 31 years before becoming clerk of court. He remembers teaching summer school and taking students around to learn about the county. One stop was the Lincoln County Courthouse.
As Hatley sat in court with his students, he became intrigued. Coming up on retirement with the school system, Hatley decided to run for office. “I thought if I’m ever going to make a step and do what I really want to do, now’s the time,” he said.
Hatley says one of his biggest accomplishments, and a challenge, has been dealing with the space constraints of an aging courthouse. Since his time in office, Hatley said he convinced county commissioners to buy a vacant bank building across the street and move some operations out of the courthouse.
Hatley said he hopes to continue in his position. “I really like my job, and I love doing what I’m doing,” he said. “I hope that I have pleased the people of Lincoln County, and I’d like the opportunity to be here four more years.”
The chairwoman: Burgin first dipped her toe into the political pool in 2010. She was elected to the Lincoln County school board, and by 2012 became the chairwoman.
Burgin said she enjoys her role with the school system, but she’s been encouraged by friends and family to run for the clerk position. Her work and political experience make her right for the job, Burgin said. Burgin has served on the Lincolnton Planning Board since 2009 and worked in human resources with the N.C. Department of Transportation since 2007.
The Clerk of Court position requires someone who can provide good organization, customer service and knowledge, according to Burgin. And she says she’s got those bases covered. “My experience with NCDOT assists me in human resource administration in many areas such as hiring qualified applicants, maintaining confidentiality at all times and adhering to all N.C. general statues, policies and procedures. I am effective in customer service and assisting everyone’s needs in a kind manner with direct results,” she said.
Burgin’s term on the Board of Education ends in December.
The chairman: Patton says he knows Lincoln County, and he knows management. The manager of a local grocery store also heads up the Lincoln County Board of Commissioners — not always an easy feat, according to Patton. “I really enjoy serving the citizens of Lincoln County, but it’s difficult when you work 50 to 60 hours a week. I want to get into a position where I can do that on a full-time basis. And this was a unique opportunity to do that,” said Patton.
Patton has been a county commissioner for 10 years. The second half of that time he’s been the chairman. Patton has been in the grocery business for 30 years. That’s part of what would make him ideal for such a customer service oriented position, he says. “I’ve got a lot of years in the retail business, and I’ve got a lot of years in the government business. I’ve spent 15 years in the military,” he said. “It’s all about how you get along with people and how you solve problems.”
Patton’s term as a commissioner ends in 2016. If elected as clerk of court, he’ll step down from his current office.
The competition: All the candidates say they’re looking for a clean race. Patton said he considers the election not a competition but a goal. “I’m not running against anybody. I’m running for a job,” he said.
If he isn’t re-elected, Hatley said he’s not sure what he’ll do next. “I hope I don’t have to think about that,” he said.
After running unopposed two out of three elections, Hatley said he’s going to brush up on his skills. “Now I’m going to have to learn how to politic again,” he joked.
You can reach Diane Turbyfill at 704-869-1817 and twitter.com/GazetteDiane.