Running for Change

Amye Thompson Hollins on why she deserves your vote

My name is Amye Thompson Hollins, and I am running for Dallas County District Clerk in the upcoming 2022 Democratic Primary election.

I am running to restore lead- ership accountability to the District Clerk’s Office by reinforcing, reevaluating and redirecting the duties of the deputy clerks. I plan to improve morale through motivation of middle and senior level management. I will be a stalwart supporter for the staff and leaders who work the closest with the public. I will improve the quality of the relation- ships between the Clerk’s Office, the judiciary, and all constituent services to provide a better ex- perience for the community.

Role and responsibilities

The District Clerk is the custodian of the records for all district court proceedings including Criminal, Civil, Family and Juvenile District Courts, as well as Family IV-D (child support), Tax, and Magistrate Courts. The District Clerk also operates three passport offices. The District Clerk’s Office is responsible for processing cases filed by attorneys, pro se litigants and citizens. When cases are filed, they are sorted and sent to the district courts to be reviewed and ruled upon by a district judge. Once a disposition in a case has been reached, the records are maintained and made available to the legal community and public through the District Clerk’s Office. Currently there are more than 3,000 cases backlogged in the District Clerk’s e-filing system. This case backlog represents a gross level of injus- tice for each person or family attached to each case. The legal system will appear to fail the community if the District Clerk’s Office does not manage the document flow more efficiently. This responsibility lies with the elected District Clerk who is failing to manage her department of 250-270 deputy district clerks. We must put the District Clerk’s Office under new management by electing a more capable leader.

It is time for new leadership

My opponent rules the District Clerk’s Office with an iron fist, and nothing happens without her knowledge and approval. This poses a problem when the elected official will not read or respond to emails that require her approval. For example, my opponent chronically WILL NOT APPROVE qualified (experienced, bilingual, and sometimes even LGBTQ+) candidates for hire, creating the current persistent and systematic staffing problems.

Under the current administration, you will find an employee handbook full of outdated, even discriminatory language as well as prohi- bitions and penalties that are stricter than the Dallas County Code. It is the elected official’s responsibility to APPROVE changes. Additionally, department supervisors, managers and HR can present candi- dates for hire, innovative ideas, and improvement plans, however, in order for any progress to occur, my opponent must check her email, review what has been sent to her and APPROVE every single thing that happens in the department. Her lack of trust and inability to delegate has propelled this department into a downward spiral of poor morale.

A District Clerk elected by the citizens of Dallas County should make reports to the Commissioners Court. A District Clerk should submit reports when he/she travels, and a District Clerk should require reporting when others in the department travel for business.

Setting the record straight

In an endorsement interview with a local organization, my opponent misconstrued the facts in order to mischaracterize me and secure the support of the organization. When asked the question about my attendance while employed as the HR Representative at the District Clerk’s Office, the current elected official took the opportunity to tell the virtual and in-person audiences, including the president, vice president and endorsement chair that I had taken an entire year off of work.

The pandemic hit home for me just like it hit home for every other single parent around the country. Below are the facts regarding my work attendance from March 2020 through March 2021.

• March 24, 2020, the Dallas County Judge announced stay home stay safe measures including the ability to work from home for all individuals who could perform their duties by teleworking.
• On or about March 26, 2020, my opponent’s chief deputy approved my ability to telework until further notice.
• In April 2020, I submitted a doctor’s note substantiating my need for increased protection against the Covid-19 coronavirus and to justify my continued need to telework, because of two previous pulmonary embolisms and treatment of a lifetime blood thinner regimen.
• In May of 2020, I began submitting weekly work duty reports as requested each Friday through April 2, 2021, without issue.
• On July 5, 2020, I underwent major surgery during a time when only medically necessary surgeries were being performed. This decision was made after having tried several other unsuccessful non-invasive treatments. My opponent agreed with and in fact, empathized with the need to take care of this health issue.
• After vaccination on March 5, 2021, I returned to the office work environment in person on April 5, 2021.

My employment record, which is subject to the Open Records Act (ORA), will show evaluations with stellar marks and no mention of an issue with attendance, before and after the pandemic.

In a shameless attempt to gain political points, it is clear my opponent has knowingly and intentionally chosen to mischaracterize an approval to telework and an official notification of an FMLA-protected surgical procedure.

Opponent has history of bias

The current District Clerk has used her bias and power to hire family and friends, and subsequently creates her own problems. Continued, forced, bad hires and an inability to lead the department with consistent proven practices like fairness, thoroughness, and sound decision-making, create an HR nightmare that requires close contact with the District Attorney’s Office.

As the next District Clerk of Dallas County, I plan to re-engage and reallocate the bilingual incentive for skilled, bilingual clerks as opposed to hiring professional translators. This incentive will be made available to current staff and new hires who pass required skills tests. Hiring and promotion standards will be made on the basis of experience and skills, as opposed to bias and favoritism.

We cannot allow biased incumbents who are not capable of managing to hold onto positions, that actually belong to the citizens of Dallas County, simply because they were elected in the past and have a sense of entitlement. Failed communication and foresight, failed delegating and planning, and failed implementation and execution have led to an e-file desk with 132 pages of backlog.

As a result of the poor leadership, I decided I was not going to stay in a work environment that does not allow for educated input, and subjects employees to a micro-managed office culture that is equivalent to modern-day tyranny. Check the record. I was not the first HR Representative to leave the department quickly. Anyone who has a duty to be accountable, or the wherewithal to stand up to unfair, illegal practices will not last long under the leadership of the current administration. On August 5, 2021, after much meditation and prayer, I left the office to run for office.

It is time for change in the Dallas County District Clerk’s Office and I need your support. Early voting is February 14-25, and Election Day is March 1, 2022.

WHO IS AMYE THOMPSON HOLLINS?

• Lifelong Democrat and 47-year resident of Dallas County
• HR expert with more than 20 years of experience
• Educated in Dallas ISD
• Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology from Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas
• Master of Business Administration in Human Resources from the University of Dallas, Irving, Texas
• Member of Central Pointe Church of Christ
• Member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.
• Devoted mother of a 9-year-old daughter who attends Dallas ISD school and is a competitive swimmer with the Park South YMCA

Documented community and public service leadership experience

• Executive Board Chair of the T. Boone Pickens YMCA; recipient of the 2017 Sam Winstead Volunteer Service Award Winner
• League of Women Voters; Member of Voting Rights and Redistricting Committees to speak for the underserved in the black and brown communities and those in special interest groups who were negatively impacted in the state’s interpretation of the 2020 census data. Provided impact statements and testimony on the state and local level.
• Personalized Learning Preparatory at Sam Houston Elementary School PTA; currently serves as Parliamentarian, ensuring students have an advocate at the table and meetings are productive and orderly.
• Friends of Personalized Learning Preparatory at Sam Houston PTA; Founding Board Member, advocating for and raising funds to supplement programming for teachers that will improve services to students.
• Executive Board Member and Immediate Past President (2015-2019) of the Metropolitan Dallas Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated; Southwest Region Inaugural Delta P.E.A.R.L. 2019-2020; Chapter of the Year in 2019; and 2018 Texas/New Mexico (TX/NM) Service Award Recipient.
• Led and organized efforts to edify high school- aged students to receive scholarship funds by engaging in social and civic responsibilities like volunteering, voting and improved writing skills, improving chances of college readiness and raising social awareness in the next generation of inner-city young adults.
• Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. TX/NM 2020 Census Coordinator; led effort to connect organizations across the states of Texas and New Mexico, combining forces with the Census Bureau, civic organizations, universities, and faith-based organizations to increase those counted.
• Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. Texas Redistrict- ing Cohort Chair; led statewide effort to fight for fair and equitable redistricting practices that would lead to fairly drawn maps, collaborating with faith-based, social, civic, and voting rights organizations throughout the state and locally in Dallas.

Vote Amye Thompson Hollins for Dallas County District Clerk. Your CHOICE for CHANGE! #ElectAmye www.amyefordistrictclerk.com

Political ad paid for by the Campaign to Elect Amye Thompson Hollins, Lalonni DuBose Hagerman, Treasurer.