2 running in Democratic primary for Ontario County clerk
CANANDAIGUA – A “no-confidence” vote earlier this year by the Ontario County Board of Supervisors in the county clerk’s office and subsequent death of former County Clerk Matthew Hoose has resulted in a crowded field for what is ordinarily an uncontested race.
Two candidates are running in the Democratic primary election for Ontario County clerk Tuesday.
Elizabeth “Liz” Yockel, of Richmond, is facing a challenge from Heidi Barend-Guerrie, of Manchester, for the party nod.
Yockel said her reason for running for county clerk is the same one that prompted her to run for a seat on the Richmond Town Board: All elections should be contested because voters are more engaged in their government if they have choices.
“The office itself looks like a place where I feel like my skills align with some work that needs to be done in terms of increasing technology, bringing us up to date and preparing for the future,” Yockel said.
Barend-Guerrie said she has spent her career serving the residents of Ontario County and public service is her passion.
“I feel that basically I know everybody is looking for a new, breath of fresh air to come in there, but the simple fact is, I know the job, and am 100% for customer service,” Barend-Guerrie said.
The winner will run with the party’s designation in the November general election against Canandaigua Town Clerk Jean Chrisman, who has the Republican Party endorsement. The position carries a four-year term.
Why the job is important
The county clerk position carries the responsibility for custodial care of the official civil and criminal records of state Supreme Court and Ontario County Court, which are on file in the Canandaigua office.
The county clerk, who is the chief recording officer and custodian of the county’s public land records, also serves as the local agent for the state commissioner of motor vehicles.
More about Heidi Barend-Guerrie
An Ontario County deputy clerk for 11 years, Barend-Guerrie was employed by the clerk’s office from 1997 until 2022, starting as a service representative, She was subsequently promoted to senior clerk and then appointed deputy clerk.
Barend-Guerrie was originally hired by the county to work in the Office for the Aging and then Ontario County Health Facility.
As deputy clerk, her primary responsibility was overseeing the Department of Motor Vehicles as well as assisting in the clerk's office.
A Manchester resident and Bloomfield High School and Finger Lakes Community College graduate, Barend-Guerri retired last year and opened Fluffy’s Quilt Patch Plus in Canandaigua.
More about Liz Yockel
In addition to having served on the Richmond Town Board, Yockel worked in the Vermont Legislature and has been on the boards of many nonprofits. She served as a senior attorney editor for Thomson Reuters in Rochester and is currently the program director for the Rochester Folk Art Guild.
The owner of the Fuzzy Bunny in Honeoye, she also served on the town's Comprehensive Plan Steering Committee, the Parks and Recreation Committee, and the Honeoye Economic Development Task Force.
A graduate of Marcus Whitman High School, she earned her undergraduate degree from Johns Hopkins University and her master’s and law degrees from Vermont Law School. She volunteered for AmeriCorps in the Baltimore City Public School System; has served on municipal committees for the past decade; started a nonprofit; and written grants for numerous nonprofits.
Liz Yockel’s goals for the office
Yockel said it’s important for the office to move on from the issues that arose from the pandemic.
“The office itself looks like a place where I feel like my skills align with some work that needs to be done in terms of increasing technology, bringing us up to date and preparing for the future,” Yockel said.
Her biggest priority is improving access to services for people, including those in the county’s rural areas who find it difficult to travel to one centralized office in Canandaigua, she said.
Yockel would explore the feasibility of satellite offices, noting that it could prove costly.
"Having mobile services really seems to increase accessibility and you can start it for not much money,” Yockel said.
Heidi Barend-Guerrie's goals for the office
Barend-Guerrie said her first and easiest goal to accomplish is bringing back the issuance of passports.
She would explore opening a satellite DMV office in the growing Victor and Farmington area as well as look to reopen the Geneva office. The openings would be self-sustained by increased revenue opportunities for the county.
“My main objective is truly to create an open-door policy,” Barend-Guerrie said. “I am very sincere about that, between our county residents, the Board of Supervisors and the staff that work in both offices, who have truly worked extremely hard while short staffed.”
When to vote
Early voting continues from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday, June 23, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, June 24, and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, June 25, at the County Board of Elections office, 74 Ontario St., Canandaigua; Victor Town Hall, 85 E. Main St., Victor; and Geneva Housing Authority main office, 41 Lewis St., Geneva.
Primary Election Day voting hours are 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday, June 27, at your assigned polling location.
This article originally appeared on MPNnow: 2 running in Democratic primary for Ontario County clerk
