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Sutherlin announces bid for Putnam County Council
Putnam County Resident Opal Sutherlin is one of nine candidates seeking one of three available At-Large seats on the County Council.
Sutherlin has 14 years experience in county government. She worked six years in the Auditor's Office as tax deputy, two of which she served as the first deputy. Sutherlin ran and was elected for two four-year terms as the Putnam County Clerk, completing her term in 2006.
She feels being the Putnam County Clerk was the most challenging and rewarding job she has experienced.
During her time as clerk, Sutherlin faced many challenges as technology continued to advance. Sutherlin believes her best accomplishment during that time was bringing Putnam County voters into the 21st century.
In order to meet state requirements, she implemented new electronic ballot machines to replace the outdated punch card system. While serving as clerk, Sutherlin learned how to deal with day-to-day problems, manage people more effectively, as well as meet state budgets and schedules.
Sutherlin said the County Council holds the purse strings for the county. She believes members of the council should communicate with the office holders to gain a better understanding of the day-to-day operations of each office.
Sutherlin believes this would allow the council to have more insight on the upcoming needs of each individual office, to allow better service to the public and give the council more information when approving the county budget.
Sutherlin feels her skills and life experiences would be an asset to the County Council.
She believes the council to be a team environment and considers herself a strong team player. Sutherlin said she would be honored to be selected as on of the candidates for the County Council.
Sutherlin is a lifetime resident of Putnam County. She and her husband Dallas have two children, Todd Sutherlin and Tracy Bridges.
She also enjoys spending time with her seven grandchildren. Sutherlin is a member of the Greencastle Moose, American Legion and the Putnam County Republican Women's Club. She attends Greencastle Christian Church.