Q&A with Kachiroubas

1. Why are you running for this office, whether for re-election or election the first time? Is there a particular issue that motivates you and, if so, what is that? What will be your main priority in office?

I am running for a second term to complete and improve many major initiatives that were started in my first term. The following are a few of the projects developed during our first term: • Electronic Filing: E-filing or the ability to initiate cases and file papers over the Internet, started in 2004 and is continually expanding. The e-filing program began with 10 filings a month. Four years later electronic filings are currently at 300-500 each week. • Compliance: We created a separate department and instituted a process for collecting unpaid fees, fines and cost which have been assessed by the court. With the addition of two contracted collection agencies the Circuit Clerk's office has collected more than $6 million in previously uncollected debt. • Online orders of Protection: The Clerk's office transformed a very long and complicated form to a user-friendly web-based program. Additionally, we are working with Townships and other local governments, creating assistance and private work stations for the completion of these sensitive documents. Once the petition is completed, the petitioner must go to our office and sign the document electronically. The petition is then immediately available in electronic form for a Judge to hear.

2. If you are an incumbent, describe your main contributions. Tell us of important initiatives you've led. If you are not an incumbent, tell us what contributions you would make.

We have made many improvements and changes over our first term. Expanding the physical office, creating a clean open-space area for the general public. We created a help -desk, so the general public can seek direction and assistance through what can be a complicated system. We installed an electronic cuing system to help move the more than 1000 people a day that visit the Clerk's office - thus eliminating needless waiting on behalf of the general public. We will continue promulgate changes to the current rules for bonding of petty offenses through the Conference of Chief Judges. Currently, about 85 percent of ticketed drivers use their driver's license as bond for minor traffic violations. This creates time-consuming, logistic and security-related challenges for police officers and circuit clerk workers. Along with Electronic Filing and Compliance and Online orders of Protections, the DuPage County Circuit Clerk's Office will continue to use technology to expand accessibility and create a more efficient court system. Other successful projects developed by our office include Electronic Court Call, Drivers Records in the Court Rooms, E-ticketing, Electronic Pleas of Guilty and Electronic Signatures.

3. What are your goals in terms of delivery of services and management of the DuPage County Circuit Court Clerk's office?

The goal of any government office must be public service. The delivery of services and management must adhere to that public service theme. The Clerk's office serves an average of more than 1000 people a day. We will continue our efforts that began on the first day I took office to reduce wait time by reallocating staff during high volume periods and increasing the processing abilities of our technology. I have insisted on a continuous review of our processes to find additional ways that technology and other innovation may be used to process court-related matters and further reducing walk-in traffic. Our office averages more than 1,200 phone calls a day - a situation that can cause too long of waiting periods for our customers. For that reason we are looking at ways to reduce phone inquiries by encouraging the public's use of the Internet through our customer service portal.

4. What would your priorities be in budget requests for this office?

In our Fiscal 2009 budget request to the DuPage County Board and Chairman Bob Schillerstrom, we requested an overall increase of 4 percent over the adjusted Budget of 2008. The budget request added no personnel over the February 2008 County Board Headcount Resolution. Personnel accounts for just under 90 percent of Clerk's corporate budget. The remaining 10 percent allows very little discretionary spending with the largest single spending item being postage. My office is responsible for noticing by mail, all defendants and witnesses for every case before the 18th Circuit. The Clerk's Office has been averaging over 325,000 new filings per year. Budget priorities for the coming fiscal year will be to maintain current staffing levels and meet all of statutory responsibilities.

5. Do you favor any changes in the training and/or deployment of the office staff? If so, what?

With advent of technology and changes to Supreme Court rules some of the present staffing could be reallocated to more direct public service. Most judges request the complete (paper) file in the courtroom. In the future, I envision a paperless court with computers on the bench. Currently every file and all ancillary documents are imaged in our office. With modifications to the bench and courtrooms the electronic file could be easily accessible and offer benefits such as searching in context that would help judges perform their duties. Concurrently, the electronic file than allows for a reduction in paper use and labor force.

6. What specific steps, if any, can be taken to make this office operate more efficiently?

I believe the DuPage County Clerk of the Circuit Court's office is currently an efficient and well-run government office. While the Clerk is elected on a countywide basis, it is not a county office as defined by the Illinois Constitution. It is an office of the judicial branch of State government with duties defined by statute, rules of the Illinois Supreme Court and administrative orders of the local circuit court. While I will continue to look for ways, using technology, to streamline costs, reduce overhead and save taxpayers money, many if not all the duties of the Clerk's office are directly or indirectly mandated by one of the aforementioned governmental influences. These mandates require a great attention to detail and no room for error.