Tiffany Blickhan Says Accountability, Transparency Are Key Issues in Lewis County Clerk Race

LEWIS COUNTY, Mo. — Tiffany Blickhan, a candidate for Lewis County Clerk, joined the Lewis County Scoop to discuss why she is running, what she believes the clerk’s office should provide to residents and why she says accountability and transparency are central issues in the race.

Blickhan is challenging incumbent Lewis County Clerk Shannon Sapp. During the interview, Blickhan said she believes the clerk’s office should be accessible, consistent and accountable to the people of Lewis County.

Blickhan shared her background, including her move to Missouri as a teenager, graduating from Canton High School and attending Culver-Stockton College before later pursuing emergency medical training. She said she has held an active EMT license for more than 30 years and previously worked for Lewis County Ambulance, other area ambulance services and as an EMT and security officer at the casino.

She also spoke about her current work with Farm Bureau in Monticello, where she serves as a sales associate and county board assistant.

“I will tell you If I don’t know, but I will find out and I’ll get back to you quickly,” Blickhan said during the interview.

Blickhan said her years of work in emergency services, security, payroll, budgeting, confidentiality and community service have helped prepare her for the responsibilities of the county clerk’s office.

“I will tell you If I don’t know, but I will find out and I’ll get back to you quickly,” Blickhan said during the interview.

Blickhan also discussed her community involvement. She said she and her husband, David, who is a Navy veteran, have been involved in scouting and the American Legion. Blickhan said she has served with the American Legion Auxiliary and as secretary and membership officer for the Canton American Legion Post.

A major part of the interview focused on Blickhan’s reason for running.

Blickhan said she believes there needs to be more accountability in the clerk’s office, especially when it comes to elections, records and public access to information. She said she previously sought the county clerk position when the office was vacated in 2016 and has been asked to run before.

She also pointed to her experience as a candidate for the Lewis County Ambulance District as one of the reasons she decided to run for clerk. Blickhan said that during that campaign, she asked for a map of the ambulance district subdivisions and was eventually given an older map that she said was difficult to read.

According to Blickhan, on Election Day some voters contacted her and said they believed they had been turned away from voting because of confusion over district boundaries. She said she contacted the Secretary of State’s office to help determine the correct boundary.

Blickhan said she believes better mapping, training and procedures could help prevent similar issues in the future.

“There needs to be training for the election judges,” she said. “They should have been able to provide a provisional ballot to those people.”

The Lewis County Scoop also asked Blickhan what the primary role of the county clerk is.

Blickhan described the clerk’s office as handling several major county responsibilities, including employee matters, payroll, billing, work with the county commission, county commission minutes, voter registration and elections.

Blickhan said if elected, she would focus on internal controls, written procedures and consistency in how the office operates.

She said the clerk serves as the election authority for the county and is also responsible for recording and maintaining important county information.

Blickhan said if elected, she would focus on internal controls, written procedures and consistency in how the office operates.

“You have to have internal controls to be able to do your job the same every time,” Blickhan said.

She also criticized what she described as a “this is the way we’ve always done it” mindset and said that kind of approach can lead to problems.

During the interview, Blickhan referenced a Missouri State Auditor report involving the current clerk’s office. Blickhan said the report raised concerns about how election authority account money had been used. She encouraged voters to read the report for themselves through the Missouri State Auditor’s website.

Blickhan said her work experience has taught her the importance of following procedures and making sure everyone in an office understands how tasks should be handled.

She said that includes knowing what information can be released to the public, what information must remain confidential and how to respond to requests in a timely manner.

“Transparency is a big one,” Blickhan said. “There are things that do need to be confidential, but there’s the transparency as well.”

Blickhan said the clerk’s office should provide timely access to county commission minutes when requested and should not feel secretive to the public.

She said her goal would be to make the office accountable, accessible and trustworthy.

“I think the taxpayers deserve more,” Blickhan said.

“If I’m elected, I will be there for you,” Blickhan said.

In her closing remarks, Blickhan said she wants the clerk’s office to be friendly, fair and easier for residents and future candidates to work with. She said candidates should have accurate information, including updated maps, when they file for office.

“If I’m elected, I will be there for you,” Blickhan said.

Blickhan said she also wants to work closely with county commissioners and help make the clerk’s office a more positive experience for residents who come to the courthouse.

“I just want it to be fair, consistent, transparent, and a pleasant process when you come in to see us,” she said.

The interview is part of the Lewis County Scoop’s effort to provide voters with direct access to candidates running for public office. The Lewis County Scoop does not endorse any candidate. Podcast interviews are provided for informational purposes only so voters can hear directly from the candidates and make their own decisions.