City announces temporary replacement, special election after Superior Court clerk’s death

The sudden passing of Muscogee County Clerk of Superior Court Ann Hardman Monday leaves a significant void in local government leadership.

As Clerk of Superior Court, she managed an office that keeps records for the Superior and State courts, and oversees all real estate records, the deed roll and the Board of Equalization, among other responsibilities.

This year, the BOE has been swamped with more than 10,000 property tax appeals due to a controversial countywide revaluation, making it a crucial time for the office.

On Monday, Mayor Teresa Tomlinson held an 11 a.m. news conference, during which she assured the public that the Clerk of Superior Court’s Office would continue to function without interruption.

Tomlinson said Shasta Glover, Chief Deputy Clerk of Superior Court, will carry out Hardman’s duties until a permanent replacement is elected.

A special election will be held November 6 simultaneously with the general election, the mayor explained. The qualifying date will be set by the Board of Elections at their next meeting in April, she said, and she expects qualifying to begin sometime in July.

“It will probably be contemporaneous with the date for qualifying for independent candidates so there will be some continuity as to the process,” Tomlinson said. “... So you will be hearing more about that.”

Glover has worked in the Clerk of Superior Court’s Office since January 2017. She was named Chief Deputy Clerk on March 13, under Georgia law, and sworn in by Probate Judge Marc D’Antonio to fill that position, according to the mayor.

Tomlinson said the decision to place Glover in the position was made so there would be someone in authority to make decisions while Hardman was out of the office undergoing treatment for colon cancer.

At the news conference, Glover said the department is on task with all of the appeals.

“We do have an administrator over there,” she said. “And with the help of (City Manager Isaiah Hugley), we did get extra help. So we are on task as far as the appeals are concerned.”

Glover, a Columbus native, said she has a law enforcement background. She started with the Columbus Police Department, where she worked for 12 years. After leaving the CPD, she worked with Judge Aaron Cohn as a probation officer. Three years ago, she retired as director of the Aaron Cohn Regional Youth Detention Center.

Glover said the Clerk of Superior Court’s Office made great strides under Hardman’s leadership and she will continue to build on that legacy.

“We have done a lot of modernization in the office,” Glover said. “We now do e-filing. We’re looking at case management.”

One area she will continue to focus on is morale, she added.

“Now, in our office, it is pleasant,” she said. “We have lawyers come in the office and applaud us because things have changed, and they started changing with Ms. Hardman. We want to continue to do what she started.”

This story was originally published March 19, 2018 at 2:59 PM with the headline "City announces temporary replacement, special election after Superior Court clerk’s death."