Steve Landes seeking re-election as Augusta County's Clerk of Court

VERONA — Steve Landes is running for re-election as the Clerk of the Circuit Court in Augusta County. He won a special election in 2019 to fill the unexpired term of Carol Brydge. Before being elected, Landes served in the Virginia House of Delegates from January 1996 until he resigned to become clerk in November 2019.

Seeking a full eight-year term this November, Landes is running unopposed on the ballot. Early voting has already begun in Virginia. The News Leader sent Landes several questions about the campaign. Below are the questions and his responses.

The News Leader: What do you see as the primary role of clerk of court?

Landes: Although there are over 800 responsibilities noted in the Code Virginia for a Clerk of Circuit Court, the key role is to supervise and be responsible for the staff who work to keep and maintain Augusta County’s records past and present.

The Clerk of Circuit Court is responsible for civil and criminal records and processes; serves as court administrator; jury administration and processes; acts as probate judge for wills and estates; land record recordings; assures the proper accounting of state and local funds; issues marriage licenses, concealed handgun permits, notary commissions; administers oaths; custodian of election records; preserves and conserves historic records and documents, and provides public access for all public records.

The News Leader: What have been your major accomplishments while serving this office?

Landes: When running for Clerk of Circuit Court in the 2019 Special Election we set out specific goals for the Augusta County Circuit Court Clerk’s Office, which we in large measure have accomplished.

The major goals we set out and accomplished included:

• To serve as a working Clerk of Circuit Court to carry out the more than 800 duties of the office as set out in the Code of Virginia;

• Obtain additional technology to assist staff in providing more efficient and cost-effective services to the citizens;

• Offer plastic cards for concealed handgun permits issued by the Augusta County Circuit Court;

• Continue to obtain grants through the Library of Virginia and elsewhere to preserve Augusta County’s historic records, and make them accessible to the citizens through digitization and providing them online;

• Promoted Augusta County history and made available historic documents in partnership with the Augusta County Historical Society, Augusta County Genealogical Society, and the Frontier Culture Museum of Virginia;

• Worked with educational institutions to provide educational opportunities to college and high school students through the Clerk’s Internship Program;

• Established the Augusta County Clerk of Circuit Court Advisory Committee;

• Made presentations and spoke to Augusta County civic clubs and organizations about the Augusta County Circuit Court History & Operations.

The News Leader: What are the most important issues facing this office for the coming term and how do you plan to address them?

Landes: The most important issue facing the office for the coming term for Clerk of Circuit Court will be to move the operations and functions of the office and staff from the historic Augusta County Circuit Courthouse in Downtown Staunton to the new Augusta County Courthouse in Verona within the next two years. Through proper planning, and organization we will be able to provide an efficient and cost-effective transition from old to new.

In addition, the clerk’s office must continue to work to process the ever-increasing number of documents related to civil and criminal cases, and the work in court to record and maintain the record for increased caseloads. Again, with some reorganization, cross training, and more effective utilization of staff we hope to be able to keep up with this increasing demand.

We are also working to have a statewide staffing standard and workload study completed by the Virginia Compensation Board in partnership with the Virginia Court Clerks’ Association for Clerk of Circuit Court Offices across Virginia.

Conserving and preserving Augusta County’s historic records in the proper manner for future generations will continue to be a challenge. We will be advocating for Augusta County to fund and to hire a full-time deputy clerk and archivist just like the Rockingham County Clerk of Circuit Court accomplished this year so we can professionally plan for the long-term conservation and preservation of our significant historic records, and then have the staff to accomplish the goal.

Last, but certainly not least, is continuing to utilize technology to make the services the clerk’s office provides more efficient and accessible for all citizens. We intend to continue to investigate software and hardware that will allow citizens to be able to apply for concealed handgun permits online, and for attorneys to electronically file criminal and civil cases with the clerk’s Office depending on funding, participation, and interest.

The News Leader: Please tell us anything else about you that you feel is important for voters to know.

Landes: It has been my honor to serve the citizens of Augusta County first as a member of the House of Delegates for 24 years, and now as the 17th Clerk of Circuit Court for almost four years.

I am committed to continuing the long-standing tradition of the clerk’s office to provide great customer service to all citizens. To better provide and promote good public policy and the proper funding for the clerk’s office in Augusta County and clerk’s offices across the Commonwealth of Virginia, our office is active in the Virginia Court Clerks’ Association, and I currently serve as the co-chair of the legislative committee and as a member of the public relations committee.

I am currently the Woodrow Wilson Ruritan district governor, and past president and member of the Weyers Cave Ruritan Club. I am a member of both the Fort Harrison and General Daniel Morgan Chapters of the Sons of the American Revolution.

My wife, Angela and I are members and elders of Mount Horeb Presbyterian Church. We have a son, Roth, who is a senior in the Pamplin College of Business at Virginia Tech.

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— Patrick Hite is a reporter at The News Leader. Story ideas and tips always welcome. Contact Patrick (he/him/his) at phite@newsleader.com and follow him on Twitter @Patrick_Hite. Subscribe to us at newsleader.com.

This article originally appeared on Staunton News Leader: Steve Landes seeking re-election as Augusta County's Clerk of Court