COVINGTON — The work of the Kenton County circuit clerk isn't exciting, but the race to win the office is.

        In a race that has been going on for nearly a year, Democratic incumbent Mary Ann Woltenberg is attempting to hold off a challenge from Republican Steve Kramer, a law clerk serving his second term on Villa Hills City Council.

        The contest to oversee the administrative functions of the Kenton County court system has basically come down to experience versus a call for new ideas.

        Mrs. Woltenberg says her decades of experience in the clerk's office clearly makes her the superior candidate.

        Elected in 1992, Mrs. Woltenberg actually began working for the county court system in 1960. She has eight years' experience as circuit clerk and worked 14 years as the chief deputy to former clerk Ed Schroeder.

        Mrs. Woltenberg said Mr. Kramer does not have the experience or ability to supervise an office of at least 50 employees, who handle $8 million in fines and other revenue, issue more than 20,000 driver's licenses annually and process more than 50,000 court cases each year.

        “The magnitude of these statistics should urge you to elect a mature and reputable leader,” Mrs. Woltenberg said in a not-so-veiled reference to her opponent's youth.

        But while Mrs. Woltenberg, 57, touts her experience, Mr. Kramer, 25, asserts that under her leadership the office has grown stagnant.

        “What that office needs is a fresh new perspective,” Mr. Kramer said. “It's stuck in an era where it has been for an eternity.”

        Mr. Kramer said the office needs:

        • Better technology, including Internet access and the ability for citizens to pay fines and court fees online.

        • More and better satellites. Though the clerk's main office is on the third floor of the Kenton County Justice Center in Covington, Mrs. Woltenberg has opened satellite offices in Independence and Erlanger. Mr. Kramer said those offices, which handle just driver's license renewals, should do more. He also wants an additional office along Dixie Highway.

        • Extended office hours. Office hours need to stretch beyond the typical business day, he said, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. “so people who have jobs can come in after or before work.” Mrs. Woltenberg has expanded hours by 30 minutes.

        Mr. Kramer also disputes the notion that he is too young and inexperienced to handle a 50-person shop.

        As law clerk for Kenton County Attorney Garry Edmondson, Mr. Kramer said he knows the court system and how it operates. And he points out that he has a college degree, which his opponent does not.

        Mrs. Woltenberg said Mr. Kramer is making promises he can't keep.

        She said Mr. Kramer has “overlooked” that she has already proposed many of those same ideas — including satellite offices, credit card payment over the Internet and a technology upgrade — to the Administrative Office of the Courts, or AOC, in Frankfort.

        (While the clerk's office carries a county moniker, it is actually controlled and funded by the state.)

        “It appears my opponent has no understanding of the authority and responsibilities of the circuit clerk, nor does he understand the bureaucracy of the AOC,” she said.

        Mrs. Woltenberg also said she has made strides in improving technology. The office has a Web site and is part of CourtNet, an intranet site that allows Kenton County law enforcement agencies to share information.

        Mr. Kramer said he can increase the hours of the office without additional funding by having employees work staggered shifts. And he will go to Frankfort to lobby lawmakers for additional funding for the office.

        “This is a leadership position that right now is lacking leadership,” he said.

        Both candidates are getting strong support from their respective political parties.

        Mr. Kramer announced last week he has been endorsed by U.S. Sen. Jim Bunning, a Southgate Republican.

        Mrs. Woltenberg has touted endorsements from Mr. Schroeder and Otis Forehan, another former circuit clerk in Kenton County, and the Northern Kentucky Labor Council and labor unions representing police, firefighters, electrical workers, plumbers and pipe fitters. More than 250 area attorneys who work on a regular basis with the clerk's office also endorsed her, she said.

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