Barbara “Barbie” Higginbotham never considered running to be Dixie County’s Clerk of Circuit Court and Comptroller during her 18 and a half years as Felony Clerk for the Gilchrist County Clerk of Circuit Court and Comptroller’s Office. But rumors started anyway.
She began hearing them around the office and went to set the record straight with her then boss, Clerk Todd Newton. The rumors weren’t true.
While there was no truth to the conversations about her candidacy on that day, it sparked a conversation with her husband about the possibility of running. After that talk and further consideration, she changed her mind and decided to take on a new challenge. Barbie Higginbotham returned to Clerk Newton and shared her interest in running for the position in Dixie County.
When Clerk Higginbotham was elected, she knew her main priority – what she would end up enjoying most about the job – was serving her constituents as best she could. Some residents thought the Dixie County Clerk of Circuit Court’s Office did not have a great reputation when it came to customer service. Now, there’s not a day that goes by without someone walking through its doors and thanking staff for their exceptional efficiency and for making their visit both easy and pleasant.
Some enhancements were obvious and implemented immediately. Clerk Higginbotham introduced credit card services for convenience which had never been implemented in Dixie County. She also enhanced access to records, making all records prior to 1983 available online.
In the future, she wants to improve aspects of her finance department, including making prior years of banking consolidation current, consolidating multiple bank accounts, and correcting a few audit findings. Another upcoming priority is being able to offer passport services to her constituents.
At home, Clerk Higginbotham is the matriarch of a wonderful and flourishing family. She married Daryle Higginbotham in 2013, reconnecting after 25 years apart. Together they have eight kids, 19 grandchildren and two great grandchildren. They have three pet dogs and numerous hunting dogs.
In their free time, her family enjoys hunting, camping, traveling, and going to the beach.
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