Kelly Ferarri, left, and Paula Painter are on the ballot for the office of Butler County prothonotary.

The two women running for county prothonotary both said they would be the best choice for Butler County taxpayers when they head to the polls Tuesday.

Kelly Ferarri and Paula Painter vied for the office on the Republican ticket in the May primary election, with Ferrari winning by more than 2,500 votes.

Painter is surprised that she's facing a challenge because she has worked in the office for 18 years and served as deputy prothonotary for 13 years, having been trained by retiring 36-year prothonotary Glenna Walters. She switched parties and was nominated by the county Democratic Committee as the party's candidate in the general election Tuesday.

The prothonotary's office is the record keeper for a county's civil court, and helps residents with passports, divorce decrees, rights of way for land disputes, fictitious names, naturalization records, court records or records on individuals. Attorneys also count on the prothonotary to keep them abreast of ever-changing legal procedures and to provide various documents.

Painter said all requests, whether from the public or attorneys, are processed the same day they arrive in the prothonotary's office. She said she has streamlined many procedures in the office. The month-end reports, for example, once took many hours to complete and often required staff to stay after hours.

Ferrari said the prothonotary's office is antiquated and in need of new, modern records-management software. She said the prothonotary plays a significant role in county government and requires management experience, a thorough understanding of civil procedure and how the courts operate.

Ferrari, who owns a court reporting business, said she and her family have a history of investing in the county “to make it the best it can possibly be, including my father George Smith's time serving as city fire chief and then on city council.”

Should she win the election next week, she will give up her business.

Read the full article in Sunday's Butler Eagle.