Thursday, February 6, 2014

If Someone Could Get Me to Vote Republican, It'd Be Dr. Frank Lloyd

The Marion County Democratic Party will hold its "slating" convention this coming Saturday. Slating is where elected and appointed officials at the precinct level will meet and cast votes to decide who the county party will endorse for the May primary for various races. In the case of the county party, eight judge slots and all of the non-mayoral county offices are up for election.

The county wide offices looked like there could be open season in several of the races but most of that has settled down. Now, the only real question is Marion County Clerk. One of the candidates that is seeking the party's slating is Dr. Frank Lloyd, the current Marion County Coroner.

Early on in Dr. Lloyd's administration, his staff fumbled the removal of an obese woman who died on the northeast side. After pleading immunity, a Court of Appeals said the Coroner's office was not immune because they were operating under internal regulations rather than state code. Two years ago, RTV6 received a video from a whistle blower showing abysmal conditions in the Coroner's office.

I've been impressed with Clerk Beth White's management of the Clerk's office and most of the elections she has run. But if this is Dr. Lloyd's record, I don't know if I'd want to hand over the office of Clerk to him.

Would you?