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Shawnee County Clerk

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    Lisa Schmitt
    (Rep)

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    Jonathan Smith
    (Dem)

Biographical Information

What makes you the best candidate for this position? What skills, expertise, or competencies qualify you?

How would you maintain the confidentiality and security of the information with which you work?

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Campaign Web Site http://www.JonSmith4SNCO.com
Campaign Phone 785-633-0295
Campaign Address 2526 SE Colorado Ave
Personal Biography Who am I? Well, to be honest, I'm just some guy. I've been a Dishwasher, a Grill Cook, a Domino's Delivery Driver; I've worked the outbound trailers at a Distribution Center. But starting at the end of 2015 I've been driving a semi-truck, and since 2016 I've been a flatbed and forklift operator in addition to my truck, driving local deliveries around Shawnee County, and to neighboring cities, or even Missouri or Wichita. Been working 60 hour work-weeks 6 days a week for those 8 years.
Education I spent three semesters at the University of Kansas in Lawrence, Ks, before dropping out to raise my children.
Community/Public Service I've done volunteer work through the City of Topeka Program, "Changing Our Culture of Property Maintenance". I've helped plan multiple volunteer trash-pickup days here in Topeka. I'm one of the current officers at Central Highland Park Neighborhood Improvement Association. I use that position to do additional manual labor service work around Central Highland Park like trim dead branches, and pick up yard debris to take to a local forestry Recycler. I've also done policy advocacy for my community and county at the City Council, as well as the County Planning Commission, and Board of County Commissioners.
The County Clerk position requires an individual with an expansive general knowledge of Shawnee County. Having personally watched or listened to every single Topeka City Council meeting, as well as every single Shawnee County Board of County Commissioners meeting since December of 2022 means that I have heard every single presentation from every single department head across the City of Topeka and Shawnee County. Every presentation, every comment, whether from an administrator or member of the public, I've heard it.

In addition to this familiarity with City and County policy, departments, and representatives, I also hold the officer position of Secretary at two different organizations. Communication is something I'm very qualified in.
So, this is an interesting question because the role of County Clerk often involves certifying and making public record of contracts and communications between departments as a standard. All Kansas Open Records Act requests would go through the County Clerk as well.

So to me, I would prioritize making sure the public stays as informed as is required by law by the position. There is a reason that county communications and contracts are publicly available, and it is important to me to keep that tradition and responsibility moving forward.

If there are documents or communications that are legally required to be kept confidential under direction from County Counsel, then naturally, that would be something that I would have no issue with.