I support Gary Clemens and Bob Wertz

Dear Editor:

The November 7 Loudoun election will soon be upon us. There are 79 candidates running from both parties and the noise level is increasing which may mean some candidates could be overlooked on their merits and fall victim to their party label being the only criteria for voter selection. 

As a Loudoun Democrat, I will vote for Republicans who I believe are clearly the best choice for the job. This year we should not overlook two outstanding professionals, who have always put their service ahead of politics and who are running as Republicans.

I have had the pleasure of working directly with Gary Clemens, the Clerk of the Circuit Court and Bob Wertz the Commissioner of the Revenue on various occasions related to the civic affairs of the County since their election in 1999 and 2003 respectively.

The Clerk serves as the recorder of deeds, issues marriage licenses, and is the official court administrator for all civil and criminal court cases, creates all files and records, prepares court orders and jury lists, and issues summons and court processes.

None of these are political tasks, but clearly, they are critical to all the citizens of Loudoun County. Gary has managed them at the highest level of performance. 

Gary brings something extra to his work He has tirelessly worked to organize, manage, and make available to the public the vast documentation of Loudoun’s history. To my knowledge no other County has such a rich documentation of its history, thanks to Gary Clemens, our clerk and deserving of reelection to continue his work.

The Commissioner of Revenue is the chief assessment officer for the County for all categories of property that are subject to tax by the Board of Supervisors such as real estate and personal property. In Loudoun the Commissioner also administrates special tax relief programs as set by the Supervisors and all the County land use programs. 

The office provides personal help to comply with local tax requirements when they need assistance. Bob has utilized technology to make the office operate more efficiently without sacrificing the personal service the office is known for. He has also improved the working relationship between the office and the Board of Equalization after assuming responsibility for real estate assessments in 2012, at the request of the Board of Supervisors. The tasks are administrative and technical, requiring a high degree of professional competence.

Now is not the time to change the leadership of these vital offices. That is why as a Loudoun Democrat I will vote for Clemens and Wertz and urge all my fellow Democrats and Republican friends to do the same.

Al Van Huyck

Round Hill