Meet the Candidates: Clayton County Auditor

By Willis Patenaude, Times-Register

Being an Iowa native is special, and living in Clayton County as a resident of Elkader since 2007, Jennifer Garms has made the most out of it. The current county auditor is seeking a second term this fall to build on a legacy of transparency and communication, and ensuring that residents are consciously aware of the issues and how those issues affect them. 

It’s a career path that began as deputy auditor in 2007, shortly after Garms’ arrival in Elkader. It has since stretched into the community, with stops as president of the Elkader Opera House Theater Board and co-chair of the Main Street Elkader Promotions Committee, to currently serving on the Elkader Library Board. 

Garms’ life has become intertwined with the landscape she so admires. 

It’s a landscape that offers “a great place” to pursue hobbies like photography, fishing, hunting, reading, gardening, quilting and solving word and jigsaw puzzles. There is a diversity about Garms, in hobbies and jobs, and even in education, which stretches back to her college days, where Garms’ major shifted from accounting to business to geography and cartography. 

This adaptability has made the difficulty of “wearing many different hats” as county auditor—where the primary duties include finances, payroll, elections, taxation and serving as clerk to the board of supervisors—more manageable. 

It’s actually the diversity of duties that initially attracted Garms to the position. 

“I felt that I had the experience and the unique skill set to perform the job, [and] the diverse duties were enticing,” she said. 

This election, though, is different. First off, Garms will not have to worry about surviving a close election, as was the case in 2016, because she is running unopposed, something she said “came as a surprise.” 

She mentioned “many voters from both sides have said that I am the right person for the job…they have seen that I am in the office to get the work done accurately and efficiently.” 

As a result of this work ethic and cross-party appeal, she was elected to serve on the executive board of the Iowa State Association of County Auditors, where she currently serves as the treasurer but is on track to be the affiliate president in 2022. 

Secondly, of course, is COVID-19, which, according to Garms, “put preparation and policy as the top priority and placing all other office items temporarily aside.” 

It also increased the amount of time she spent in board of supervisors meetings and attending conference calls and webinars, all in an effort to “help navigate the pandemic.” This has allowed Garms to display her multitasking talents and overall versatility. 

COVID-19 has also had an adverse effect on election planning, which, coincidentally, is Garms’ favorite and most difficult part of the job. 

The difficulty lies in the “lack of available time, [which] hinders the ability to reach deadlines,” she said.

Beyond the election, since her win is all but guaranteed, Garms is trying to organize existing records to streamline the process. It’s an effort to increase efficiency, because efficiency saves time. 

The board of supervisors is also looking to increase how many items they take on, as they have grown in experience and understanding of the expectations, procedures and deadlines. 

All of this comes while Garms continues to perform daily functions that are more than just serving as note taker for the board of supervisors meetings. Given the size of the county and the number of days the board meets, Garms also handles resolutions, letters of support, contracts, policies, ordinances and various workshops, displaying the many-hats work ethic she is known for. 

As for the upcoming election, Garms wants to continue a tradition of transparency. She wants  the “community to feel like they are informed and to make sure they aren’t afraid to reach out to get accurate information, regardless of the subject matter.” 

Speaking directly to the voters, Garms said, “I believe that I can continue to do the diverse duties of the job and that I am fair and impartial. I think that my work ethic and attention to detail will continue to help move the office forward, and I want to thank the residents of Clayton County for the continued support.”