Office of the County Clerk
Established by Constitution
The office of County Clerk has been in existence in Texas since 1836, superseding the escribano (secretary) of Spanish-Mexican rule.
The Texas Constitution, Article 5, Section 20 states: "There shall be elected for each county, by qualified voters, a County Clerk, who shall hold his office for four years, who shall be clerk of the County and Commissioners Courts and recorder of the county, whose duties, perquisites and fees of office shall be prescribed by the Legislature, and a vacancy in whose office shall be filled by the Commissioners Court, until the next general election; provided, that in counties having a population of less than 8,000 persons there may be an election of a single Clerk, who shall perform the duties of District and County Clerk."
About the County Clerk
Julie Smith took office as Potter County Clerk on January 1, 2007. In addition to serving as the clerk for the County Court, County Courts at Law Nos. 1 and 2, and Commissioners' Court, the County Clerk records and keeps records pertaining to real and personal property. Other responsibilities include records management, vital statistics, marriage license, campaign finance reports, managing six budgets and a staff of deputy county clerks. Julie Smith also conducts countywide Special and General Elections in addition to serving as Voter Registrar. Julie Smith holds active membership in the County and District Clerks' Association, and the Texas Association of Election Administrators.
