Candidates for Kendall County Circuit Clerk spoke Oct. 7 at a meet-and-greet event hosted by the Oswego Area Chamber of Commerce and the Kendall County Bar Association.

In addition to being a meet-and-greet event, candidates had two minutes to speak with attendees at the event, which was held at the Bauman Family Funeral Home in Oswego. Oswego Area Chamber of Commerce CEO Rick Warner, who is also a local attorney, thanked those in attendance.

“As a member of the Oswego Chamber of Commerce, I think it’s really important that we take stock of our community and get involved in our community,” Warner said.

He said the idea behind the meet and greet was to “meet each other as neighbors.” Those in attendance at the event included candidates running for Kendall County Circuit Clerk and Kendall County State’s Attorney.

Kendall County County Clerk

Tiara McCullough, a Democrat, is challenging Republican incumbent Matthew Prochaska for the office. The county clerk is responsible for the maintenance and preservation of all official court records in Kendall County.

If elected, McCullough said she will ensure court records are maintained at the highest level of accuracy and accessibility.

“I will also ensure that modern technology is used to streamline processes and make information as accessible to you as you need it,” she said. “And I will prioritize customer service and ensure that every interaction with the Circuit Clerk’s office is respectful and efficient. I just want to say: let’s work together to make our justice system more efficient.”

Prochaska has been in office since December 2020. He previously served on the Kendall County Board.

He talked about what his office has done over the past four years, including implementing electronic subpoenas for the Circuit Clerk’s Office, which allows local law enforcement to submit their records to his office.

“This allowed a process that would take six to seven days to complete to be shortened to one to two days,” Prochaska said. “We have fully expanded e-filing, meaning you can file and submit your documents to the court from home. These are usually accepted on the same day, otherwise the next day.”