Commissioners narrow list of court clerk applicants
Jul. 31—Commissioners culled two applicants from the 15 who sought their consideration for appointment as interim Muskogee County District Court Clerk.
About half of those applicants lacked the legal qualifications state law requires for any person to serve in that capacity. Qualifications include being a registered voter in the state and a resident of the county for at least six months.
District 2 Commissioner Keith Hyslop said "all three of us have chosen the same two" applicants as finalists for the job: Kimberly Robyn Boswell and Joe Church.
"We'll interview them on Monday during an executive session," Hyslop said. "And then we will make a decision on Monday."
Boswell, who began serving her first term as county treasurer in July 2019, submitted her application hours before Thursday's deadline. She would be vacating her post two years early if appointed, forcing commissioners to make a second interim appointment and scheduling a second special election.
"In the two years that I have been in the Treasurer's Office, I have made great strides in correcting many issues that had been outstanding for years," Boswell said. "I have completely restructured the Treasurer's Office and reinstated professionalism. I did everything I promised I would do and more."
Boswell said the office now operates more efficiently, with annual tax statements being delivered "on time for the first time in years — or ever." Boswell said during her first two years she "stopped wasteful spending by ceasing the employment of an outside treasurer and downgrading unnecessary large equipment to sizes conducive to work output."
Church said he began working at Muskogee County District Court Clerk's Office when he was 16 years old. He worked his way up the ladder during the past 18 years to his present position as second deputy court clerk, serving as Sexton's right-hand man.
During the past several years, Church has supervised front-office employees and trained new employees, prepared daily court dockets, and helped with the annual budget process. Church said he also operated jury management software and managed jurors during trial dockets, organized and maintained court record databases, and cultivated close working relationships with municipal, county and state officials across Oklahoma.
"Serving in this office has been my passion for a very long time," Church said about his work at the court clerk's office and setting a longer term goal of being elected to lead the office. "This is what I love to do. I've been trained, and I've been groomed, I've been going to school and earned certification required for this job, and I'm ready to step in and follow Paula's footsteps."
Church has earned widespread support from the legal community inside and outside Muskogee County — lawyers and representatives from state agencies filed letters in support of his application. He was described by one local lawyer as "an exceptional member" of Sexton's team by another lawyer as one of the "more competent, concerned and sincere" employees in a court clerk's office anywhere in in the state.
District 3 Commissioner Kenny Payne said eight of the 15 applicants lacked the legal qualifications to serve in the post left open by the early retirement of Court Clerk Paula Sexton. She announced in May her plans to retire before completing her fifth term, one to which she was elected in 2020 and began Jan. 4.
District 1 Commissioner Ken Doke said it was unclear about the intent of some of the remaining applicants. He said it appeared some of the applicants may have been looking for medical positions.
