Candidate: Joseph E. Smith

Dear Friends,

Unfortunately, I did not win this election. But I am so grateful to each of you who have offered me the privilege of serving you for 16 years. I was blessed to be endorsed by the people you trust. 

Palm Beach Police Benevolent Association

St. Lucie Education Association

Broward, Palm Beaches & St. Lucie REALTORS®

Palm Beach/Treasure Coast AFL/CIO

TCPALM.COM

Most importantly, I was honored to be endorsed by you.

Clerk Miller was elected promising that the clerk's office under her leadership could do better. For the sake of our community, I wish her well in her new endeavor.

It was my pleasure to serve you. Thank you for allowing me the privilege of doing so.

Joe

Clerk Joseph E. Smith was first elected to the office of Clerk of the Circuit Court in November 2008, after serving as a member of the Board of County Commissioners. He served three terms as clerk and returned to private life in January 2021. Upon taking his oath as Clerk, Smith’s priority was to enhance the quality of services while reducing taxpayer costs in staffing and operations. He succeeded in his tasks.

Committed to adopting new technologies that help streamline and expand accessibility to public services, Smith understands that St. Lucie County citizens deserve accountability, transparency, and efficiency. He serves more than 300,000 people as the county’s Clerk, Chief Financial Officer, Treasurer and Auditor, Recorder, and Clerk of the Board of County Commissioners. Clerk Smith also oversees more than 150 Deputy Clerk Professionals in four locations.

In his first years as Clerk, Smith and his team adopted a new mission: to provide Amazing Customer Experiences and Operational Excellence from Caring and Knowledgeable Professionals who are Financially Accountable. With the help of the caring and knowledgeable professionals at the office, Smith has implemented new programs designed to cut costs and generate new revenue for taxpayers while enhancing services throughout the office.

STREAMLINED AND NEW SERVICES:

• Implemented new goals designed to achieve and maintain the office’s 97 percent customer service rating
• Created central cashiering for customers to conveniently pay any criminal payments in one location
• Established centralized scanning to ensure all documents are scanned the same day they are filed
• Consolidated services from five buildings to four, reducing overhead costs by $40,000
• Enhanced guardianship audits to protect our most vulnerable citizens
• Expanded services in South County to process passports, notices of commencement and marriage licenses
• Opened the Self-Service Center, providing self-represented litigants with easy online and in-person access to free court packets and forms
• Introduced phone, online and mobile-friendly web payments
• All Deputy Clerks receive a minimum of 40 hours of specialized training annually
• Clerk Smith meets directly with new Deputy Clerks as part of their onboarding process
• Launched a new free service designed to protect property owners from property fraud
• Launched Shred & Protect Day events for the community to shred confidential documents for free
• Expanded services to include passport photos in South County and downtown Fort Pierce
• Opened a drive-thru at the Downtown Fort Pierce location for public convenience and access

FINANCIALLY ACCOUNTABLE:

• Instituted a new credit card rebate program, generating more than $1.4 million in new revenue for citizens while cutting operating expenses
• Created the national and state award-winning Dollars & Sense: Your Practical Guide to County Finances to educate citizens about how their tax dollars are collected and spent
• Implemented new Internal Audit Department designed to improve Clerk and county processes

NEW TECHNOLOGY:

• Launched Clerk E-Certify, a convenient service designed to combat fraudulent deeds, mortgages and other county public records
• Launched Property Fraud Alert program to notify property owners if a deed, mortgage, or other Official Record is fraudulently recorded in their name
• Successfully upgraded new case management system to Benchmark, allowing customers to view case dockets and digital records
• Implemented electronic court case filing and document recording
• Launched online tax deeds and foreclosure sales
• Introduced a third-party translation service to serve non-English speaking customers
• Launched new website with integrated online case and official records searches as well as a live chat feature for improved customer service
• Launched social media pages on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube to educate and inform the public about services
• Launched new Official Record platform allowing customers to search and view public records, as well as record and process mortgages, deeds and other county official records
• Implemented document e-Recording for businesses to safely record Official Record documents electronically
• Implemented online marriage licenses
• Implemented a mobile app for accessing key clerk services

SERVICE & APPOINTMENTS:

• Recipient of the 2018 Partnership Award by Florida Rural Legal Services
• Recipient of the 2016 Access to Justice Award by Florida Rural Legal Services
• Florida Government Finance Officers Association, 2016 Leadership Class
• Florida Court Clerks & Comptrollers, Treasurer, Vice President, and President (first St. Lucie County Clerk to ever serve on the statewide governing leadership board)
• Board of Trustees, Lawnwood Regional Medical Center & Heart Institute
• Board Member, Big Brothers Big Sisters of St. Lucie, Indian River and Okeechobee Counties
• Board Member, Treasure Coast University Schools (Palm Pointe Research School@Tradition)
• Honorary Chair, SafeSpace’s 2014 Walk A Mile in Her Shoes
• Commissioner, St. Lucie County Board of County Commissioners 2005-2009

PERSONAL:

• Clerk Smith is a Brother of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Incorporated and has two young sons with his wife, Heather Lueke Smith. He is the organist at St. Simon's Episcopal Church and is the youngest of four children born to the late Carolyn Mackey Smith and the late James H. Smith, Jr. of Fort Pierce.