Hammond, McCroskey hold short meet

Mike Hammond

Mike Hammond, who will take over the criminal court clerk’s office in early September, met with current clerk Joy McCroskey today, he verified.

The two talked for about five to 10 minutes in her office.

He said he wasn’t sure what to expect going in but “she was very nice and very supporting.”

Hammond said that he recently reached out to some employees, asking to meet with them. Word got back to McCroskey and she wanted to have a sit down first. (No, he’s not bringing her on board.)

“She was very supportive and helpful and nothing negative was said,” Hammond added. “It was very anticlimactic.”

He said McCroskey gave him the go-ahead to meet with the employees, which he expects to do next week. Hammond said he’ll more than likely meet with all of them at the same time.

“It’s really just a general meeting to say ‘hello.’ Obviously, I can’t do anything or set policy at this point, so it’s more to introduce myself,” he said.

Hammond defeated two opponents in last week’s Republican Primary. He doesn’t face an opponent in the August general election. He’ll take office on Sept. 2.