Second in a series
Re “Two Candidates Who Do Not Remotely Resemble Each Other”
[img]2994|right|Donesia Gause||no_popup[/img]Dateline Carson – When you sit down with the young city clerk of Carson, the first and most enduring impression is that Donesia Gause is, in a measured, disciplined way, immensely proud of her professional station.
Ms. Gause was appointed three years ago this month to replace a 37-year officeholder who had fallen seriously ill.
Normally, only family and quite close friends pay attention to a city clerk at election time.
On March 3, however, Ms. Gause will be defending her hard-won office against perhaps Carson’s best-known and most colorful personality, Mayor Jim Dear. He is an opinion-holder and opinion-maker.
Ms. Gause is the opposite, low-key.
“As a certified municipal clerk, I have internationally recognized certification,” she says. “I have worked in the city clerk profession all of my adult life. I was a deputy city clerk before. So city clerk is all I know as an adult.
“I have done all of the nuts and bolts in the city clerk’s office. From every position in the city clerk’s office, I have held all of the jobs, and held them quite well.”
Ms. Gause was asked the main attribute a city clerk needs.
She clicked immediately with her response.
“A city clerk should be impartial,” Ms. Gause said, “above reproach and understand they have a responsibility to residents to safeguard public records.”
(To be continued)
