'Dollars, dogs, delinquencies': Clark wants people to know treasurer post is vital
OTTAWA COUNTY — Cheryl Clark wants Ottawa County residents to better understand the treasurer's office.
It's mostly about "dollars, dogs and delinquencies," she said, but it plays a vital role for the county's financial security.
Clark, who was sworn in as treasurer Dec. 29, was appointed after previous treasurer Amanda Price announced her retirement at the end of 2023. She was selected for the position from more than 20 applicants by a panel consisting of Clerk Justin Roebuck, Prosecutor Lee Fisher and Probate Judge Mark Feyen.
Clark now is running for a full four-year term in 2024.
The treasurer is the custodian of all county funds and all property tax rolls, she recently told The Sentinel.
"The majority of what the Treasurer’s Office does is mandated by the state of Michigan," she explained.
More: Our go-to guide for races in Ottawa, Allegan counties
Some of the mandated functions are:
Recording revenue
Collecting delinquent property taxes
Conducting tax foreclosures
Managing dog licenses
"This is a very busy time of year for our office," Clark said. "The local townships and cities collect taxes up until the end of February. And then starting March 1, we take over collecting any taxes that were not paid. And what we do is we balance out the books between the townships and cities, and we then end up paying every taxing entity and making them whole, taking on the full cost of all of the delinquent taxes."
The county then attempts to work with any homeowners who are delinquent in their property taxes.
"We're meeting with taxpayers and we're trying to stop foreclosing on their property," Clark said. "We don't want their property. We want to keep people in their homes. We see our role as helping the taxpayer and not hurting them."
More: ‘Full circle’: Cheryl Clark sworn in as next Ottawa County Treasurer
More: Ottawa County promotes from within for treasurer role
She said part of her state-mandated duties is to ensure all revenue is recorded and invested properly "because we want to protect the county's money."
When Clark interviewed for the role in December, she had served as the deputy treasurer for 15 years; Jason Kondrat has since been named as the deputy treasurer. Prior to working for the county, Clark was the Robinson Township treasurer for a decade, where she previously had been an account technician.
She said her goals for the department included upgrading the department's software, streamlining the county's credit card payment services and offering cross-training opportunities to all employees.
She said progress has been made in all of those areas.
"We are going to start working on the 2025 budget for the county and for our office," she said. "One of my goals was to reorganize our office and do more cross-training, so I am hoping to hire one more full-time employee and include more training costs."
She said she also plans to request an RFP (request for proposal) for investment software and cashiering software.
As she gears up for campaign season, Clark said she will focus on her expertise.
"What I'm going to do is I'm going to focus on the experience that I have — not only working in the county for over 20 years, but also working at the township as their treasurer for nine years, and then focus on what the treasurer's office does," she said.
Clark said she feels a vote of confidence from the selection committee that appointed her.
"They appointed me because of my experience," she said. "They knew that the county needed somebody with deep experience during this time. And not only my experience, but the education that I have."
Clark has a bachelor's degree in business administration from Cornerstone University and has continued her education during her career, including leadership training and a master's certificate for public funds investment management.
A lifelong Republican, Clark said she isn't concerned about the current political climate in the county.
"I'm ready and willing to work with whoever the board may be," she said, referring to the current Ottawa Impact controlling majority on the Ottawa County Board of Commissioners.
Clark was born and raised in Grand Haven and has been married to husband Joe Clark for 20 years. The couple has two adult sons, Jack and Chris. She attends Hope Church in Grand Haven and has served as a high school youth group leader and has participated in the worship team and women's ministry.
Subscribe: Get all your breaking news and unlimited access to our local coverage
She said Ottawa County is where she plans to stay.
"I am deeply committed to Ottawa County. I love it here. And I'm committed to keeping people in their homes, being a good steward of the county's financial resources, ensuring that the county's investments are sound, maintaining the county's good bond rating and enhancing the efficiency of the treasurer's office with the latest technology."
Fellow Republican Ben Genser, who also applied for the position last year, has formed a campaign committee, but has not yet filed to run with the county clerk's office.
Dates to know
Tuesday, April 23: Filing deadline for Ottawa County candidates
Tuesday, May 7: Special recall election for Board of Commissioners District 2
Tuesday, Aug. 6: Michigan primary election
Tuesday, Nov. 5: Michigan general election
— Sarah Leach is executive editor of The Holland Sentinel. Contact her at sarah.leach@hollandsentinel.com. Follow her on Twitter @SentinelLeach.
This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: 'Dollars, dogs, delinquencies': Clark seeks full term as treasurer
