Jeff Small Wants Virtual 24-Hour Circuit Court Clerk's Office

Candidate supplied profile:

Jeff Small was born in 1971 in Oakton. In 1994, he graduated from George Mason University with a B.S. in Biology. From 1995 to 1998, Jeff worked as a legislative aide on Capitol Hill while earning his law degree from NOVA Southeastern University.

In 1998, Jeff opened his first retail business in Central Park in Fredericksburg, which he sold in 2004. Since then, he has built and opened four businesses under the RIO brand. He has hired dozens of management-level professionals and employed hundreds of area residents. His businesses serve over 500,000 customers a year.

Jeff also practices law in Fredericksburg, where he has represented low-income clients in the Juvenile & Domestic Relations Court, General District Court  and Circuit Court. In 2009, Fredericksburg's Commonwealth's Attorney LaBravia Jenkins appointed Jeff as an assistant prosecuting attorney to focus on crimes of domestic violence. He works closely with the Fredericksburg Sheriff's Department and has earned the endorsements from Sheriff Paul Higgs and many of his deputies.  He has also been endorsed by Commonwealth's Attorney LaBravia Jenikins and Paul Metzger, Clerk of Court Emeritus.

Jeff is a member of the Virginia State Bar, Fredericksburg Area Bar Association, New York State Bar, Friends of the Rappahannock and the Stafford Rotary Club; he holds a Virginia Class A Contractors License and serves on the Board of Directors of Stagedoor Productions.  Jeff and his wife, Edys, live in Fredericksburg with their chocolate lab, Bernie, and the couple is planning a family.

Jeff Small's Official Campaign Website

Question 1: The Circuit Court Clerk's Office is woefully behind in technology. What ideas do you have to bring the clerk's office into the 21st Century so it is more digital friendly?

I will create a Virtual 24-Hour Clerk's Office. Public records, files and documents will be made accessible online. This will drastically reduce the need to visit the office in person, which in turn will save the city and taxpayers both time and expense. I have been training in the Spotsylvania County's Clerk's office under their Clerk, Christy Jett, who has also endorsed my candidacy. This training includes using electronic scanning and archiving functions to record and index land records in real time, as opposed to the four to six weeks it takes records to be indexed currently. In addition, I have learned to electronically bring online all civil and criminal case paperwork. This allows the customers of the Clerk's Office to look up entire cases online and allows the judge to review a case with the touch of a button on his computer instead of a bulky case file. I plan to institute this in Fredericksburg. Finally, I plan to scan as many of the historical documents that can safely be scanned so that customers can view them online. I will not discard the original historical documents because I know there is a need for viewing these treasures. The Clerk’s Office staff and the archivist will gladly assist members of the public who wish to view any historical document.

Question 2: Do you have any plans to increase the hours that the clerk's office is open?

Yes. Currently, the office is open 37.5 hours per week. I will extend the number of hours that the office is open to the public to a minimum of 40 hours making its use more convenient. In addition, I will examine adding additional hours (or by appointment service) to ensure that those who cannot access the Clerk’s Office during traditional times are afforded access.

Question 3: How do you plan to improve customer service in the Circuit Court Clerk's office?

Providing the public with friendly and respectful customer service will be the number one priority of the Clerk’s Office and its entire staff. My first step will be to work with the Sheriff, the Judge and Clerk’s Office staff to remove the thick plexi-glass barrier that separates the public from the office, which provides only minimal security at the cost of accessible and friendly customer service. In addition to being an attorney and a deputy prosecutor for Fredericksburg, I have owned successful businesses that serve over 500,000 customers every year. To do this we have provided great service, while being friendly and respectful, thus exceeding the expectations of our customers. I plan to bring this friendly and respectful customer service environment to the Clerk's Office. My campaign promise is that you will be greeted with a smile by me, or a friendly staff member whose first goal will be to serve you professionally and promptly.

Question 4: Have you ever had any Freedom of Information Act training or do you plan to take any training in the FOIA act laws?

I have experience with Freedom of Information Act requests. I will work with the City Attorney to ensure that all FOIA requests are handled promptly and thoroughly. I will continue to stay up on FOIA law with training and will require Clerk staff be trained to fully comply with all provisions of the Freedom of Information Act.

Question 5: What do you think will be the most significant change that you want to make if elected?

The change that will be most visible to the public will be the manner in which business is done in the Clerk’s Office. As an attorney and prosecutor in Fredericksburg, I have worked with and learned from Sheriff Paul Higgs and Commonwealth's Attorney LaBravia Jenkins, who both endorse my candidacy, how to efficiently run a City office. Most importantly, I will use the skills I have learned in business to create an environment where customers enjoy their visit to the Clerk's Office so their expectations are exceeded by our service and competency. Although creating a Virtual 24 Hour Clerk's Office, implementing digital technology, and expanding service hours will improve the Clerk’s Office, providing friendly, respectful customer service and satisfaction is my most important goal.