The County Clerk of Court, the County Superintendent of Schools, and the County Surveyor is Rick Cook. He is running again, and this will be his 4th term. He started working in the County Clerk of Court in Dec 1999 as a deputy clerk.
The Chouteau County Clerk of Court provides the primary administrative function for the District Court of the 12th Judicial District Court. According to Rick Cook, "We are the keeper of court records." The types of cases they keep records on are criminal, civil, probate, search warrants, passports, marriage licenses, divorce, parent neglect, adoptions, and senior neglect. They are agents for the federal government. His office is the only place in the county to get your passports.
His official job description is found in the Montana Code Annotated 2019 title 3, Chapter 5, Part 5. General duties- electronic filing and storage of court records. The Clerk of the District Court, in addition to keeping the records and performing the duties prescribed elsewhere, shall take charge of and safely keep or dispose of according to law all books, papers, and records that are filed or deposited in the clerk's office. Act as clerk of the district court and attend each term or session of the court and upon the judges at chambers when required; issue all process and notices required to be issued; enter all order, judgements, and decrees proper to be entered. Keep each court a register of actions, keep for the district court two separate indexes one labeled "General Index-Plaintiffs" and the other labeled "general Index-Defendants" which must be in the form prescribed. Keep a minute book, which must contain the daily proceedings of court, which may be signed by the clerk. Keep a fee book in which must show in an itemized form all fees received for any services rendered in the capacity a clerk. The clerk of the district court may elect to keep court documents by means of electronic filing or storage or both."
The state has partially assumed some of these offices. They pay for computer stuff.
I thought it was interesting that he believed judges were poorly paid. We were short 23 judges just three years ago. Criminal cases must move within a specific time frame, but civil cases are slow due to this shortage.
He is also the Jury Commissioner for the county. He pulls the people's names. All he does is push a button. It is a random draw.
The total budget for the Clerk of Court is $137,975. The county commissioners approve his budget. Rick said, "I have always prided myself as being fiscally conservative. I don't waste money. It's not my personal money. I enjoy my job. And that makes a big difference. I'm very fortunate with good staff. We all work together very well. I hope to continue to serve the public". The Deputy Clerk of Court is Dianne Spaabeck.
Rick Cook is also the County Superintendent of Schools, but there is a requirement that states a teacher is responsible. Marylou Tweete, Deputy County Superintendent, which has been there for 12 years, is doing the contracted position. There are three rural schools in Chouteau County- Benton Lake, Twin Hills Colony, and Carter. "I can't speak enough of how good she is," Cook said. The total budget of the Superintendent position is $31,613. You can find the job descriptions in the Montana Code Annotated 2019 Title 20, Chapter 3, Part 2. "The county superintendent has general supervision of the schools of the county within the limitations prescribed by this title and shall perform the following duties or acts: a) determine to establish, and reestablish trustee nominating districts in accordance with the provisions; administer and file the oaths of members of the boards of trustees of the districts in the county, register the teacher; file a copy of the audit report; keep a transcript of the district boundaries; fulfill all responsibilities assigned under the provisions of this title regulating the organization, alteration, or abandonment of districts; act on an unification propositions, estimate the average number belonging of an opening school, process and, when required, act on school isolation applications, complete the budgets, monthly order the county treasurer to apportion state money, county school money and any other school money subject to apportionment." The job description goes on for another whole page describing their responsibilities, but mostly it just a detail accounting of oversight of the county schools.
Rick Cook is also the County Surveyor. "By statute, we are required to have a county surveyor. We discovered, due to a lawsuit, that the county was required to have one. We haven't had one since the '40s." He has only acted as the County Surveyor once completing that one duty in all the years of his title. He gave a road report to the county commissioners. He has no experience in surveying, nor are they required too. The legal term in Montana for not having an accredited surveyor license is officially an "incompetent surveyor." He laughs, "I'll take that definition."
