Using Technology To Cut Costs Cited

Two lawyers are vying to replace David Bell, who is retiring as Arlington County clerk of the court after 30 years.

Arlington County Board Chairman Paul F. Ferguson (D) is squaring off against Mark D. Kelly, a Republican who until November served as chief of staff for U.S. Rep. Jim Ryun (R-Kan.). Both have pledged to improve the office's use of technology to reduce expenses and make it easier for people to get information online.

Kelly, 36, faces an uphill battle against Ferguson, who has held a high-profile leadership role in the county, serving on the board for three terms. He is well-known in Arlington, which is a Democratic stronghold.

"I wouldn't be realistic if I didn't realize it would be difficult," Kelly said, noting that he has nonetheless been campaigning for the position almost full time. "While it's a tough mountain to climb, I don't think it is impossible."

The county clerk has been called "the people's representative in the courthouse," administering many aspects of the county's judicial system, including oversight of jury duty, marriage licenses, the recording of real estate transactions and the probate of wills. The court's jurisdiction includes Falls Church.

"The clerk of the court is the only elected position that has a direct connection between people and the legal system," Ferguson said in explaining his decision to run for the $130,000-a-year post. He said he was ready to make a change from serving on the county board but looking for a way to remain engaged with the county when he learned Bell had decided to retire.

Ferguson, 42, who grew up in the Washington area, has been a champion of environmental initiatives in the county. He attended Wakefield High School and is a graduate of James Madison University and George Mason University Law School. If elected clerk, he said, his top priority will be to protect residents from identity theft by blocking Social Security numbers from appearing on county land records, which would also permit the documents to be more openly circulated.

Bell has endorsed Ferguson as his replacement.

Kelly was born in Michigan and came to the Washington area in 1993. A graduate of Regent University School of Law in Virginia Beach, Kelly has lived in Arlington since 2000. He began mulling a run for office when Ryun lost his seat in November to a Democrat. Kelly said he would bring administrative strength to the clerk job because of his experience as Ryun's chief of staff. He said he would start by conducting a top-to-bottom review of the clerk's office to boost its efficiency.

Both men are married with young children. Kelly and his wife, Keirsten, have three children younger than 5 and live in South Arlington.

Ferguson and his wife, Karen Keyes, have two sons and live in Fairlington.