Acting clerk of courts expected to be named
Montgomery County officials meet today to accept resignation.
Montgomery County commissioners are expected to appoint Connie Villelli to replace the resigning Greg Brush.
Montgomery County commissioners are expected to appoint Connie Villelli acting Montgomery County Clerk of Courts when they meet Tuesday to accept the resignation of Greg Brush, an elected Democrat. Villelli is currently director of compliance and special projects in the clerk’s office.
As acting clerk, Villelli will serve for up to 30 days until the vacancy is filled by the Montgomery County Democratic Party’s central committee.
Villelli, 62, of Englewood said her time as clerk will be solely transitional.
“It’s temporary just to hold down the fort,” Villelli said. “I have no interest in pursuing an elected position, so I’m not in the mix. I think that’s why Greg (Brush) recommended me to the county commissioners.”
Brush is retiring to take a new job which he won’t reveal until he starts it on Nov. 1, he said earlier this month. He was re-elected in 2016 to a term that runs through 2020.
Montgomery County Democratic Party Chairman Mark Owens said people have time to reach out to the party and express interest in the permanent clerk’s position before the central committee convenes in mid-November to select a replacement. An election would be held in November 2018 to fill the final two years of Brush’s term.
The clerk oversees a budget of about $7 million and a staff of 92 employees. The office is responsible for receiving, docketing, indexing, certifying and preserving court pleadings, orders and other legal documents, including auto titles.
Villelli, who also served as the clerk of courts chief deputy, has
been with the office for 12 years. Prior to that she managed Montgomery County Common Pleas Court processes for 25 years.
Brush’s annual salary was $111,000. Villelli was paid $77,418 in 2016, according to county records.
The courts and public will see little change in the operation of the office during the time Villelli is acting clerk, she said.
“We have an extremely talented management team that’s very good at handling the day-to-day operations,” she said. “We don’t think there will be issues we have to address. We have to have someone who can legally sign auto titles and legally sign authenticated judgments, so that will be my signature during this interim period.”