THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, March 5, 1995 TAG: 9503030147
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 04 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY GREG GOLDFARB, CORRESPONDENT
LENGTH: Medium: 64 lines
J. Curtis Fruit asked about 200 city Republicans Wednesday night to support his bid for a third term as clerk of the Circuit Court.
Their official answer will have to wait, but the immediate response gave Fruit the campaign kickoff he wanted.
``Aw, shucks, I don't mind telling you, that feels real good,'' he said, after the Republican City Committee meeting at the Central Library erupted in applause. ``I want to go ahead and get all the mechanics done, so I can hopefully be the Republican nominee.''
Fruit, 53, has held the clerk's job continuously since 1979, but he admits he'll have to work hard for another eight-year term. If he wins Nov. 7, Fruit said, he'll retire when the term ends in 2003.
Fruit gained the clerk's post in 1979 by easily defeating three challengers. He ran unopposed in 1987.
Although no one has yet stepped forward to oppose him this year, Fruit said he would be surprised if some Democrats, and someone in his own party, don't covet his $90,000-a-year job.
Both parties have until June 13 to decide whether to hold primaries to register challengers.
``There's not 100 percent unanimity (in the city's Republican Party),'' said Fruit. ``I wish there were. You've got to recognize that a challenge may come, and you have to be able to meet it.''
Fruit, only the second Circuit Court clerk in the city's history, succeeded the late John V. Fentress, for whom Fruit began working in January 1964. Fruit, promoted to deputy clerk about a year later, held that position until 1979, when Fentress retired.
That set the stage for Fruit, who at age 37 and with no political experience, out-polled two Democrats and an independent.
Although unopposed in 1987, Fruit spent $4,000 on his campaign. If challenged this year, Fruit said, he is prepared to spend $30,000 to $35,000.
The clerk's office has 44 full-time employees and performs the following functions:
Handles court-related work for nine judges, including filing 8,000 civil and 10,000 criminal cases last year alone, he said.
Records land deeds and conducts title searches.
Issues and handles will probates, marriage and hunting licenses, notary commissions and other business-related documents and matters.
The clerk's office, which has an annual payroll of about $1 million, also receives about $460,000 from the state. It collects about $30 million in fees, of which, $25 million goes to the state, Fruit said, with the remainder going to the city.
Fruit, the city's only constitutional officer up for re-election this fall, said his office has made many advances during his tenure, including its on-line, deed indexing system. In the future, he plans to further computerize real estate data to make it accessible at other locations besides the Judicial Center.
Fruit and his wife, Sandy, have been married 20 years and live in Red Mill Farm. They have one son, John Jr., who attends Kellam High. ILLUSTRATION: Fruit, 53, has held the clerk's job since 1979, but he said
he'll retire in 2003 if he wins another eight-year term.
by CNB