By Linda Dean Cooper

Opinion

Levy County politics and signs are everywhere.  Some are dishonest, misleading, and downright lack integrity. Most are just the usual signs for name-recognition purposes, but not Mandy Waters who is running for Clerk of Court and Comptroller.  I believe Waters has the most outrageous, dishonest campaign signs in the county and online!

Her signs imply she has 12+ years of experience as Clerk of Court.  This is a false and misleading statement.  Per my April 4, 2024, records request to the Clerk’s office, Waters started her career in the Clerk’s as follows:

• Start date October 17, 2011, as a deputy clerk.  
• February 1, 2013, -she trained as civil backup.
• On March 27, 2017, she changed departments, from criminal to recording.
• Resigned from the Clerk’s office on July 5, 2019.

 That is five years less than 12+ years as her campaign signs imply.  

I followed up on the public records request believing the Clerk’s office must have misunderstood my request.   The Clerk’s office understood my request and the Human Resources department gave me all the work history they had on record for Waters.

If you go to Waters’ FB campaign page, you will see that she states she is a Judicial Assistant for Levy County Judge at Eight Judicial Circuit Court of Florida.  This is not the same as working for the Clerk of Court. 

A judicial assistant’s job description is to perform administrative, secretarial, and clerical tasks. Keeping a judge’s calendar is not a prerequisite to being our next Clerk of Court and Comptroller!

Here is a brief description of the complex duties from the Levy County Clerk of Court website: “The Levy County Clerk of Court’s office is a complex organization that performs a wide range of record keeping, information, and financial management for the judicial system, the Board of County Commissioners, and most importantly, the citizens of Levy County. The Clerk of Court as an officer of the Levy County Court System is responsible for maintaining court records with the utmost care and security. These court records include criminal felony and misdemeanor cases, civil, family, Probate and Small Claims proceedings, Juvenile cases, and traffic citations.”

It appears Waters does not have the experience required to perform the complex duties of the Clerk of Court and Comptroller. I see nothing that indicates she has the financial/accounting, budget, managerial, or any business experience to operate the Clerk’s office.

Putting up misleading signs and flitting around at social events attempting to garner votes is not what Levy needs.  We need qualified, educated, experienced leaders.  We’ve had enough of the public officials feeding at the government trough!

FYI, I am not the only one who has brought this to Waters’ attention.  Many before this article have mentioned to her personally at functions that the 12+ years of experience is inaccurate. But she ignores and marches on with her signs and glad-handing at every opportunity.

Do your research before voting, and do not fall for the fake personas, an abundance of signs, and glad-handing as qualifications for public office.

———————————-         

Posted May 6, 2024