Puckett Seeking County Treasurer Job
November 18, 2022 at 1:20 a.m.
Puckett Seeking County Treasurer Job
By David L. Slone-
With her term limit up Dec. 31 as county auditor and fellow Republican Rhonda Helser moving from treasurer to auditor, Puckett has filed to run for the treasurer position in the Dec. 1 caucus. Helser resigned as treasurer effective Dec. 31 after winning the 2022 election for auditor as a person can not hold two elected offices simultaneously.
One other person who has announced her candidacy for treasurer is Diane Wulliman.
“I have worked in the county auditor’s office for 23 years. It’s the only office I have ever worked in. I started part-time and actually am the only employee of the auditor’s office that has done every single function in that office,” Puckett said in an interview Thursday.
When she started part-time in the auditor’s office, Puckett actually printed the old transfer books that had to be handwritten and that was her “very first job.” Eventually, she was hired full-time and Puckett worked her way up to chief deputy, which she held for 10 years before running for county auditor eight years ago.
On the day she decided to run for auditor and was successful, she knew when her last day in the position would be.
“So, it was always in my purview to run for county treasurer. I thought I was going to have to sit out for two years because our terms don’t sync up, but since Rhonda decided to run for auditor and was successful, that opened up that seat two years early so I have the opportunity to caucus in for that,” Puckett said.
One of the reasons she decided to run for treasurer is because it’s a “fascinating” office to work in.
“And then working in the auditor’s office and understanding all of the finances of the county, when you come in and pay property taxes, those property taxes don’t just go to fund the different entities in our county. They also go to support all county funds. Those funds support the different taxing units, support the county, but we also invest those funds,” Puckett explained. “So the investments are critical at this time because the interest we make on that does help support all the other funding sources that we have and the programs that we have. So, understanding how every one of those dollars work and - hopefully - are compounded at the right time will help support all functions of county government.”
Even though Puckett has only worked in the auditor’s office, she acknowledged she knows a lot about the treasurer’s office because the two offices work very closely together.
“Our entire property tax force in the office works with the treasurer’s office on a daily basis because we post the deductions and figure out what someone’s tax bill is going to be,” she said. “The financial side works with them every day as different entities bring in dollars on a day-to-day basis to support their programs, as well as doing tax (calculations) and doing settlement. So we work hand in hand, side by side with the treasurer’s office.”
Puckett said she has worked very close with the property tax system that they’ve used over the last 23 years.
“They are contacts in my phone, and I have helped them over the years really perfect our tax system in the treasurer’s office as well as in the auditor’s office,” she said. “So you’re not going to really find somebody around that understands the tax system or financial system as well as I do.”
Outside of her family, Puckett has made county government her primary focus and passion.
“When they say when you run for office and you are elected, there’s great sacrifice that comes along with that decision. Some of the sacrifices were to my family with the time that I could spend with them, and other sacrifices are other activities. When I took on the job and the position of auditor, it is a full-time-plus working position, and so I primarily focused on my family and on county government,” she said.
Puckett does have hobbies she enjoys outside of work, but nothing in the financial aspect.
Concluding the interview, she said she does have the full support of the County Commissioners and Council to run for treasurer as they are very familiar with Puckett’s abilities up to this point.
“I have been a daily support for all of them. They have seen first-hand the integrity and the hard work that it takes to run this office, and they are all in full support of me continuing to run for county treasurer, and then, after that, still continuing to stay and serve in county government in other capacities,” she said. “I would hope that everybody would give me the opportunity to ... I am trusting them, as I have trusted the Council and Commissioners, that they would see what I would bring to the table in making that successful long-term.”
The Republican caucus for treasurer starts at 6 p.m. Dec. 1 in the old courtroom of the county courthouse, followed by the caucus for coroner.
The Kosciusko County treasurer and coroner will be elected by secret ballot of the majority of the members of the voting caucus to fill the vacancies in the offices. Candidates must reside in Kosciusko County and be a Republican in good standing.
Declarations of candidacy are available at the office of the Kosciusko County clerk of the Circuit Court, 121 N. Lake St., Warsaw, and must be filed with Kosciusko County Republican Central Committee Chairman Mike Ragan no later than 72 hours prior to the commencement of the caucus.
Ragan’s phone number is 574-265-1430 and email is [email protected].
Eligible candidates will be allowed a maximum of 3 minutes to address the voting caucus.
With her term limit up Dec. 31 as county auditor and fellow Republican Rhonda Helser moving from treasurer to auditor, Puckett has filed to run for the treasurer position in the Dec. 1 caucus. Helser resigned as treasurer effective Dec. 31 after winning the 2022 election for auditor as a person can not hold two elected offices simultaneously.
One other person who has announced her candidacy for treasurer is Diane Wulliman.
“I have worked in the county auditor’s office for 23 years. It’s the only office I have ever worked in. I started part-time and actually am the only employee of the auditor’s office that has done every single function in that office,” Puckett said in an interview Thursday.
When she started part-time in the auditor’s office, Puckett actually printed the old transfer books that had to be handwritten and that was her “very first job.” Eventually, she was hired full-time and Puckett worked her way up to chief deputy, which she held for 10 years before running for county auditor eight years ago.
On the day she decided to run for auditor and was successful, she knew when her last day in the position would be.
“So, it was always in my purview to run for county treasurer. I thought I was going to have to sit out for two years because our terms don’t sync up, but since Rhonda decided to run for auditor and was successful, that opened up that seat two years early so I have the opportunity to caucus in for that,” Puckett said.
One of the reasons she decided to run for treasurer is because it’s a “fascinating” office to work in.
“And then working in the auditor’s office and understanding all of the finances of the county, when you come in and pay property taxes, those property taxes don’t just go to fund the different entities in our county. They also go to support all county funds. Those funds support the different taxing units, support the county, but we also invest those funds,” Puckett explained. “So the investments are critical at this time because the interest we make on that does help support all the other funding sources that we have and the programs that we have. So, understanding how every one of those dollars work and - hopefully - are compounded at the right time will help support all functions of county government.”
Even though Puckett has only worked in the auditor’s office, she acknowledged she knows a lot about the treasurer’s office because the two offices work very closely together.
“Our entire property tax force in the office works with the treasurer’s office on a daily basis because we post the deductions and figure out what someone’s tax bill is going to be,” she said. “The financial side works with them every day as different entities bring in dollars on a day-to-day basis to support their programs, as well as doing tax (calculations) and doing settlement. So we work hand in hand, side by side with the treasurer’s office.”
Puckett said she has worked very close with the property tax system that they’ve used over the last 23 years.
“They are contacts in my phone, and I have helped them over the years really perfect our tax system in the treasurer’s office as well as in the auditor’s office,” she said. “So you’re not going to really find somebody around that understands the tax system or financial system as well as I do.”
Outside of her family, Puckett has made county government her primary focus and passion.
“When they say when you run for office and you are elected, there’s great sacrifice that comes along with that decision. Some of the sacrifices were to my family with the time that I could spend with them, and other sacrifices are other activities. When I took on the job and the position of auditor, it is a full-time-plus working position, and so I primarily focused on my family and on county government,” she said.
Puckett does have hobbies she enjoys outside of work, but nothing in the financial aspect.
Concluding the interview, she said she does have the full support of the County Commissioners and Council to run for treasurer as they are very familiar with Puckett’s abilities up to this point.
“I have been a daily support for all of them. They have seen first-hand the integrity and the hard work that it takes to run this office, and they are all in full support of me continuing to run for county treasurer, and then, after that, still continuing to stay and serve in county government in other capacities,” she said. “I would hope that everybody would give me the opportunity to ... I am trusting them, as I have trusted the Council and Commissioners, that they would see what I would bring to the table in making that successful long-term.”
The Republican caucus for treasurer starts at 6 p.m. Dec. 1 in the old courtroom of the county courthouse, followed by the caucus for coroner.
The Kosciusko County treasurer and coroner will be elected by secret ballot of the majority of the members of the voting caucus to fill the vacancies in the offices. Candidates must reside in Kosciusko County and be a Republican in good standing.
Declarations of candidacy are available at the office of the Kosciusko County clerk of the Circuit Court, 121 N. Lake St., Warsaw, and must be filed with Kosciusko County Republican Central Committee Chairman Mike Ragan no later than 72 hours prior to the commencement of the caucus.
Ragan’s phone number is 574-265-1430 and email is [email protected].
Eligible candidates will be allowed a maximum of 3 minutes to address the voting caucus.
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