Mary Ann Burton Age: 50 Address: 902E. 450N., Camden Married to Bob Burton. Has two grown children, Marc (wife: Patsy) and Matthew; and one "perfect" grandchild, Colton. Hobbies: Vegetable and flower gardening, fishing, grandchild Democrat and lifelong county resident Mary Ann Burton, who is running for county recorder, said although she has not held an elected office before she is no stranger to Carroll County government.

"I've worked in that courthouse almost as long as my opponent," she said. "I've worked there everyday and I know what goes on inside of that building."

Burton said she worked in the area plan office for eight years, in the auditor's office for two years, in the recorders' office for a year in 1997 and most recently she is employed in the assessor's office for the past year.

"I enjoy serving the public and I now want to hold an elected office," she said.

Burton said because of her past work experience in the recorders' office, she "knows a little bit" about how the office is managed and the duties involved with the job.

"I want to see more working together between offices in the courthouse," she said.

Burton also said she would manage the office with "mini- mum staff" but would not make drastic changes immediately if elected to the position.

"I will be there. I come to work everyday. I'm dependable," she said.

Burton said she would begin the new job by evaluating what the workload is and the number of staff currently handling it. She said she intended to run the office "as effectively as possible."

Burton added that she would work with the county council to manage the office within funding and budgetary constraints.

Burton said the county financial situation was one thing that convinced her to run for office. She said the county needs people who are "proactive" to be able to run the government more efficiently and effectively than it has been managed.

"Things need to change for this county and I want to be part of that," she explained. "We need a new set of eyes and thoughts to creatively draw upon for the good of the county."

Burton said if she is elected she will begin training immediately after the Nov. 4 election. She said she will not leave her job in the assessor's office until January, but will use vacation and personal days as allowed by the county personnel policy, as well as Wednesday afternoons when the courthouse is closed to visit surrounding county recorders' offices and learn how they do things for ideas about ways to manage the Carroll County office.

"I will not go in there blind," she said.

"People know who I am," she said. "People know my work ethic and can count on me to serve them."