HAYS COUNTY — The requirements to run for local office are actually quite simple. More often than not, you just need to be a U.S citizen, a resident of the state and/or county for a certain amount of time, be a registered voter, not be a convicted felon and be at least 18 years of age.
Avrey Anderson[/caption]
Avrey Anderson ticks all of these boxes. Now, the 19-year-old Dripping Springs native is preparing to take on the role of Hays County’s new district clerk.
Anderson was elected during the Nov. 8 election, unseating incumbent Beverley Crumley, who has held office since 2011, by nearly 2,000 votes. Anderson’s swearing in, along with the swearing in of other Nov. 8 elected officials, took place on Jan. 1 at the Hays County Historic Courthouse in San Marcos.
District clerks play a vital role in local governments. They file, process and maintain records of all of the district courts’ proceedings, implement district court decisions and administratively support the district courts and its judges.
For Anderson, it was his interest in both public service and programming, including knowing SQL (a programming language), that drove him to run for office.
“I wanted to serve my county; I wanted to serve my people,” Anderson said. “It really just leads back to public service. I saw district clerk as an excellent opportunity to do that.”
Anderson’s preparation for office included reading the district clerk manual, brushing up on local government statutes and doing some other training ahead of officially assuming office. One of his biggest campaign strategies, however, was getting out into the community and talking with people.
“If you have conversations with people around town, which I primarily did around the Square [in San Marcos], people will remember that,” Anderson said. “It’s really one of the best ways to talk to people … The fact that you’re there in person makes it much more personal than watching someone on the TV or seeing a big sign.”
While Anderson credited part of his win to this strategy, he said that it maybe got him “a few hundred votes” and acknowledged that the changing political landscape of the county was also advantageous.
“To be honest, our county has been blue for a bit,” Anderson said, who ran as a Democrat.
Since his victory, he has been busy preparing to take office and said that one of the biggest — and only — problems encountered so far is with staffing.
“We’re getting that under control,” Anderson said. “In the beginning, there were a lot more people worried and willing to leave. Then I started meeting with the deputies of that office so they would understand that I’m not going to ‘clean house.’ I’m there to basically build relationships with my employees that are going to be strong — ones that actually helps us function and achieve what we’re supposed to.”
Anderson is also keenly aware of what many in the county might be thinking about him taking office at his age.
“I surely understand that they think I’m a 19-year-old and don’t have any experience, and that’s easily understandable,” Anderson said. “But I also have as much experience as someone who’s elected to Congress for the first time, being that they have to undergo training to learn how exactly to be a legislator … To overcompensate for my age, I dress nicer, I talk to people more, I’m more open to discussion. I try basically fulfilling my role as a servant to the community better than what maybe some people think. I would be willing to do anything at all to help people in the government center, regardless if it was in my office.”
As district clerk, Anderson’s heart is set on one simple task: ensuring his office serves the community as efficiently as possible.
“I want to build a vision of public service,” Anderson said. “I don’t know if that’s already been implemented into the office, but it should be, and that’s the vision I want to instill: that we are to serve the community. We don’t own anything, we’re not above them but we’re here for them and we’re here to serve them.”
