Dear Friends,

I am Dale Hatch and I have now been Bannock County Clerk for almost six years.  I enjoy my job very much, especially working with the public and with the employees of Bannock County.  I worked for Bannock County for 24 years as an appraiser and have come to appreciate the running of county government.  Being involved in county government gives me an opportunity to meet many of our citizens, fine people who care deeply about this area.  I have lived in Bannock County for over 37 years and I too want the best for this wonderful area we call home.

During the time I have served as county clerk, I have gained instruction through the many conferences and workshops I have attended, as well as the experience I have gained, and am confident in my ability to continue in this position.  It takes time to learn the different responsibilities in the various departments I oversee, and it is in the best interest of the county and this job to maintain a consistency by retaining an experienced person in this position.

I have been effective in keeping up with the advance in technology in the different offices.  E-recording documents make them more assessable to the public and scanning and indexing makes them easier to find.  In the election office we have a lot of voting equipment, and have regular training on the operating and upkeep of this equipment.  Initially it took some time to work out the bugs of the new scanners, but with experienced technicians on hand during elections; we have the best back-up possible to help us with the process so that elections are run smoothly.

I believe in a positive atmosphere within the working place and encourage those in the different offices to maintain a positive approach with the public.  We have been cross training so that if one person is gone, another can take over and maintain a consistently run office.  I want those employees under my direction to feel they are important in the work they do.  Every morning I make my rounds to the different departments, including 70 people, to see how each one is doing and offer any assistance. 

I believe I have a good working relationship with the county commissioners and meet with them on a regular basis.  I work closely with them on the county budget.  I believe we need to be as fiscally conservative in this as possible considering the tightening of monies available to local governments in the past couple of years.  I meet with heads of departments concerning the budget, and encourage them to be efficient in their spending.

Since the county clerk works with elected officials from all political parties, I believe it is important to have a good relationship with members of all parties, and I feel I have accomplished this.
It has been a great pleasure working with people from Bannock County and hope that the people will feel free to contact me about any concerns or information.  I believe I represent the people of all of Bannock County and would appreciate your vote, so that I may continue to do so.

Dale Hatch
Bannock County Clerk
Box 132
Arimo, Idaho
208-254-3375
dalehatch@ida.net