John Allen
“We must finish the job” declares long-serving Deputy County Clerk
Deputy Westchester County Clerk John Allen, an active Port Chester Democrat and one of the architects behind the County’s best-in-state governmental systems, today announced his candidacy to succeed his mentor Tim Idoni as Westchester County Clerk.
“These are challenging times for government, public service and our democracy,” said Allen. “For the last 19 years, it has been my honor to serve as Deputy County Clerk here in Westchester and to help Tim Idoni implement a vision for truly collaborative and transparent government – a model for how county government should operate and frankly, a testament to Democratic leadership in Westchester.
“We should continue to build on this legacy of innovation and progress. That is why I am officially announcing my campaign for Westchester County Clerk.”
Allen brings unmatched experience and knowledge to the position. As Deputy County Clerk for Technology Initiatives, Allen helped to lead a transformation in responsiveness, accessibility, accountability and transparency in how our county government operates as the Clerk’s office worked to eliminate paper and increase electronic transactions that reduce costs, while improving speed and quality of services for residents and professionals alike.
“These are dangerous times for those of us who believe in building trust in government,” said Allen. “We in Westchester have been building a stronger relationship with the residents of the county over the last two decades. I do not undertake this campaign lightly, and I know there are other candidates who will make persuasive political cases for the Democratic nomination – but I urge our Democratic committees and district leaders to consider experience, vision, and accomplishment in the office.”
Under Allen’s leadership, the Office of the County Clerk has used new technology to improve efficiency, has spearheaded legal e-filing through the NYSCEF system, which has expanded and improved throughout the State due largely to the early participation and feedback from the Westchester County Clerk. After County Clerk Idoni successfully lobbied the State Legislature to pass an eRecording law, Westchester County was the first county in the state to record a land record that was electronically transmitted, enabling the Westchester County Clerk’s Office to record documents within minutes of being received. Under Allen’s leadership, the office expanded the scanning of legal records and developed a new portal, Westchester Records Online, to enable residents to easily access records from anywhere in the world.
“As my colleagues in government know, this has saved the County significant funds, allowing for expenditures elsewhere and zero tax increases,” said Allen. “I intend to continue to implement efficiencies through professional management and innovative technology initiatives.”
Allen is native of the County, and a longtime resident of Port Chester, where he serves as an elected Trustee. For two decades, he has worked to preserve voting rights and ballot access as a leader of the New York Democratic Lawyers Council.
“Our County Clerk’s office is recognized by our peers as the best in New York State,” said Allen. “I am very proud of that record, and we need to make sure that it continues. As we’ve seen elsewhere in County government, this is a real opportunity for an experienced and fully vetted Deputy to step up into the leadership role without any interruption of service or changes in policy.”
Allen has been meeting with Democratic committees and district leaders in anticipation of next month’s Democratic nominating convention. He will appear with other candidates before the Executive Committee at the Democratic Party’s January 15th meeting.
