Mirrilee Hiler will run for county clerk

Merrilee Hiler has announced her candidacy to run on the Democratic ticket for the office of Elmore County Clerk.

Hiler was born and raised in Wyoming where her parents operated a small family business. She graduated from Rawlins High School in 1961 and continued her education at Colorado State University and the University of Wyoming until she and her husband moved to his family's cattle ranch in the remote Little Snake River Valley of Wyoming. While there, she raised three children.

She taught a volunteer kindergarten for a year and helped start an EMT service that served two states and three counties, serving as secretary for that board until the Noyes Health Clinic was established. She was also a 4-H leader and chaperone for FFA until moving with her family to a ranch east of Mountain Home on Rattlesnake Creek in 1981.

She has served on the City of Mountain Home's Beautification Board and was Chairman of Paint the Town while serving on that board.

She was a cofounder of the Elmore County Domestic Violence Council, serving the first two years as chairman.

She is currently Treasurer for the Elmore County Ambulance District, Prairie Historical Society, and Elmore County Democrats.

She is a member of the Elmore and Owyhee County historical societies. She also serves on the Elmore County Employee Sick Leave Bank and works with the Elmore County Employee Committee.

Merrilee started working for Elmore County as its elections clerk in 1988. A year later she transferred to district court as the civil clerk where she worked for five years. She then became an in-court clerk for Judge Michael McLaughlin and then Judge David C. Epis, working in that position for over four years.

When Gail Best was elected as Elmore County Clerk, Hiler applied for and received Best's former position as deputy auditor. She has remained in that position for the past seven years. That position was expanded three years ago to become the first comptroller for Elmore County.

Two years ago she additionally was appointed chief deputy for the Elmore County Clerk.

"The Deputy Auditor/Comptroller position has historically been the training ground for the position of county clerk," Hiler noted.

"That is what appealed to me when I applied for the job. It is the position that deals extensively with establishing county budgets, setting levies for county funds and taxing districts, monitoring all county funds and grants, receipting revenue, paying the revenues collected to taxing districts and special funds as well as working extensively with the county commissioners, elected officials, department heads, taxing districts, the State Tax Commission, Idaho Association of Counties, outside auditors, and representing Best when she is not available."

Hiler went on to say that "the past 17 1/2years have been an invaluable training ground for learning the importance of confidentiality, accuracy, public relations, and the complexity of establishing and balancing a county budget of more than $11.7 million dollars.

"The next few budget years will be particularly challenging for Elmore County officials as the new jail comes on line and the demand for increased services come in to play."

She said that if elected she plans to continue the open door policy established by Best and the previous Elmore County Clerks.

"It is because of my training and experience and the endorsement of Gail Best, the Elmore County Clerk, that I have decided to run for the clerk's office. I believe my years of experience working as the auditor/comptroller, in-court clerk, and election clerk qualify me for the position of Elmore County Clerk."

Merrilee and her husband, John, a lifelong resident of Elmore County, small business owner, and history writer, have a blended family of seven children and 19 grandchildren.