Two candidates seek Bear Lake County clerk position
Published at | Updated at
UPDATE:
EDITOR’s NOTE: Incumbent Amy Bishop has updated EastIdahoNews.com with the answers to our questionnaire. Read her unedited responses below.
BEAR LAKE — Two candidates are vying for the position of Bear Lake County clerk in the upcoming primary election: Richard Spencer and incumbent Amy Bishop.
The winners of the May 19 primary election will advance to the general election on Nov. 3.
EastIdahoNews.com sent a questionnaire to each candidate. Responses were limited to 250 words or fewer. Bishop did not respond to the questionnaire. Spencer’s unedited responses are below.
For more candidate questionnaires and further information on this year’s primary election, check out East Idaho Elects.
Tell us about yourself – include information about your family, career, education, volunteer work, and any prior experience in public office.
SPENCER: I am Richard Spencer with deep pioneer roots in Paris since the 1800s. My family has farmed this valley, served in county offices, and provided church leadership for generations. My wife Ashley and I returned full-time in 2019 to raise our family and run a small farm.
In the private sector, I was in VP and executive level project management roles at a Fortune 100 company, leading major streamlining projects, investigating fraud, waste, and abuse and performing audits. I am also a professional bookkeeper with strong accounting experience. Currently, I serve as Paris City Clerk and Treasurer, managing records, budgets, meetings, and public services. This combination of high-level corporate efficiency experience and local public office gives me practical tools to serve Bear Lake County effectively.
BISHOP: I have been honored to serve as your Bear Lake County Clerk, and I am running for re-election. I am a dyed-in-the-wool Bear Laker! My parents, Marvin and Kay Beck, raised me in Ovid on the family homestead.
After receiving an excellent education in Bear Lake schools, I went on to complete my Bachelor’s Degree at ISU and University of Utah. After a few years in Salt Lake City, my husband and I were thrilled to come home to raise our family in Bear Lake.
In 2007, I began my local government career working for the City of Montpelier, where I was able to write grants to build community programs and work with prospective businesses, educating them about what makes Bear Lake a great place. More importantly, I was able to spend eight years learning up-close how local government works.
I began working for the County Clerk’s office in 2015, where I was able to continue to be tutored in some of the best Bear Lake has to offer. I served as Chief Deputy to Clerk Cindy Garner for most of her tenure, and was appointed as Clerk when she retired in 2022. I was elected by the citizens of Bear Lake later that year.
Why are you seeking political office within your community? Briefly explain your political platform.
SPENCER: I am running for Bear Lake County Clerk to give back to the community that welcomed my family and to address growing voter concerns about open records and spending.
My platform is built on three pillars:
- Accessible & Open Governance
- Efficiency That Saves Taxpayer Dollars
- Stronger Community Engagement & Accountability
With my background in corporate streamlining, fraud/waste/abuse investigations, bookkeeping, and current service as Paris City Clerk and Treasurer, I am ready to bring fresh energy, integrity, and proven oversight to the office.
BISHOP: I am running for re-election because I understand the need for continuity and knowledge to ensure the success of the county. My platform is simple, I already know the job, and would like to continue providing excellent service to the citizens of Bear Lake County. I have spent almost two decades in local government and I have the skills needed for the job.
The job of clerk includes many responsibilities and is complex and demanding. The job of clerk includes recording deeds and other documents, running elections, overseeing court employees, managing the county budget, and supporting the commissioners in their meetings. It is important that the clerk understand what their role is. The commissioners are elected to shape the policy of the county, and the clerk should be able to support them in that. The clerk needs to be able to look at the big picture and help balance the needs of all the county’s various departments.
The clerk needs to be a good communicator who can keep the commissioners informed and needs to be able to support the commissioners even when they might make a difficult decision. When you vote for a clerk, you are not just choosing a philosophy or politician, you are hiring someone who can get the job done.
What are the greatest challenges facing people in your county? What is your plan to meet and overcome those challenges?
SPENCER: Bear Lake County’s greatest challenges include balancing tourism and growth around the lake while preserving our small-town character and rural way of life, along with strong voter concerns about government transparency and responsible spending.
As Clerk, I will tackle these by improving public access to records and information, conducting thorough reviews of office processes to eliminate waste, and increasing direct community engagement. Drawing from my private sector experience leading streamlining projects and investigating fraud/waste/abuse, plus my professional bookkeeping background, I will apply proven methods to make operations more efficient and open — saving taxpayer dollars without cutting essential services.
BISHOP: One of the biggest challenges I have observed during my time as County Clerk is change. Bear Lake is growing and that growth creates more demand for services from the county. With five major statutory areas of responsibility, I am always responding to the latest challenges that have popped up.
I plan to continue to meet these challenges with determination and professionalism. Whether it’s implementing new legislation on how to calculate tax levies, adjusting jury management preferences for a new judge, or responding to an enormous increase in records requests, I have had to learn to prioritize and allocate resources wisely to meet obligations.
I have learned that staying informed of trends and pending legislation is crucial, as there is often not much time to get up to speed when a new issue hits. I have also been working with the county’s planner to ensure the county helps provide better information to applicants for zoning changes, and makes the process more understandable for them..
How will you best represent the views of your constituents – even those with differing political views? How do partisan politics play into your role as an elected leader?
SPENCER: The County Clerk’s role is fundamentally non-partisan — it requires impartial administration of elections, records, and services for every resident. I will represent all constituents by listening respectfully, responding promptly, and basing decisions on Idaho law, facts, and fiscal responsibility rather than politics.
My corporate experience in investigations and audits combined with my local service have taught me to focus on fairness and results. I will hold open office hours, publish clear updates, and actively seek input across the county so every voice is heard.
BISHOP: I have been a conservative clerk, who works to make sure tax dollars are spent responsibly. I also have good relationships with our local and state elected leaders who can help solve problems faced by the clerk’s office.
Beyond that, the Clerk role is more an administrative role than a political one. Every citizen needs access to the clerk’s office whether that is through accessing deeds and other records, voting, or simply finding the right county employee to assist with an issue.
I often hear from citizens seeking to solve a problem, and try to help each one. This role often includes educating citizens about government processes or answering questions.
What parts of the county budget could use more funding? Where are places in the budget where cuts could be made?
SPENCER: As Clerk, I support maintaining strong funding for core services like elections and public records. Modest investments in digital tools could improve access and long-term efficiency.
For savings, I would target waste through process reviews, reduced paper use, and better resource allocation. My private sector experience in streamlining operations and investigating fraud/waste/abuse, combined with professional bookkeeping, equips me to identify inefficiencies and recommend responsible adjustments that protect taxpayers while preserving essential services.
BISHOP: Bear Lake County runs on a fairly lean budget. State legislation directs much of the funding the county receives and how it can be used. I have observed that county departments have deep respect for your tax dollar and try to do the best job they can with the funds available to them.
Funding for roads, law enforcement, and keeping up with technology are the biggest challenges. My process in preparing the county budget has always been to analyze each line item and look for places that could be trimmed. One area that is often overlooked is revenue. I have worked to make sure we maximize grant dollars.
Local participation is also needed to make sure Federal PILT and SRS budgets are fully funded for counties. I am proud of the county’s financial position, and pledge to continue to manage every dollar carefully.
What specific changes can be made in this office to increase public transparency and access to public information? How will you communicate directly with your constituents?
SPENCER: To increase transparency, I will implement clearer online access to records (where legally allowed), publish simple annual summaries of office activities and spending, and post easy-to-understand procedures and fees. These steps directly respond to voter concerns about openness.
Communication will include regular “Clerk’s Corner” updates via social media and email, periodic open hours in other locations around the valley to hear local concerns, and prompt responses to inquiries. My goal is an approachable, accountable office that rebuilds trust.
BISHOP: The clerk’s office recently took over managing the county’s website. I am excited for this change, as it has already made it easier to provide more information to the public. I am working with my staff to redesign the website to make materials easier to find. I would also like to add pages where the various county boards (fair board, airport board, etc) can post agendas and provide information on their activities.
My office has always had a major role in providing information to the public. Constituents now want information at their fingertips instead of having to ask for it. My goal is to make information more readily available online, in order to reduce the number of requests. I was instrumental in helping the commissioners begin to zoom their meetings, I will continue to improve technology for broadcasting meetings as funding allows.
Can you give a concrete example of a policy or budget decision you would support to improve a county service within your first year in office?
SPENCER: In my first year, I would support a low-cost initiative to expand digital access to records. This would make deeds, licenses, and other documents easier and faster to access while reducing paper and staff time. Funded through efficiency savings, this change would improve daily service for residents and businesses and directly address calls for greater transparency — a practical step I am prepared to lead using my streamlining and accounting experience.
BISHOP:I have already begun implementing a financial software upgrade which will be completed next year. The new software provides better reports and data visualization, and well as improved user experience and security. Experienced leadership is vital though any software upgrade.
I am excited to have the ability to more easily create charts and graphs, compare year over year numbers, and complete key processes more quickly. Other improvements I am working on include efforts to cross train staff, continue digitizing historical records, and provide commissioners’ materials electronically to the public, and provide better process documentation for poll workers.
What experience do you bring that prepares you to manage county finances, and how will you ensure fiscal responsibility?
SPENCER: I bring direct experience managing finances from two sectors: as Paris City Clerk and Treasurer, I oversee budgets and records; in the private sector, I completed high-level projects at a Fortune 100 company and investigated fraud, waste, and abuse which saved customer’s money. I am also a professional bookkeeper with strong accounting skills.
BISHOP: I have had an integral role in preparing and managing the county budget since 2015. I have hands-on experience with the county’s processes, software, and staff. I also know how to communicate with commissioners and gather information to support them in making the difficult decisions needed in setting the county budget.
The clerk does not manage the county finances alone. True partnership is needed with the other elected officials and departments. The assessor makes sure properties are valued equitably for tax purposes, the treasurer bills for and collects property taxes, and handles daily deposits, bank balancing and investing, and every department must provide services in the most cost-effective way possible.
The clerk’s department manages payroll, pays bills, tracks revenue and establishes financial controls. Every bill is reviewed for compliance before it is paid and then allocated to the correct department. I already understand the activities of the many county departments and strive to help provide solutions to budget shortfalls.
I have worked hard to give the best service I can to the citizens of Bear Lake County for the past 11.5 years, and would appreciate your vote on May 19th.