"Happy it's over, pleased with the outcome".

Janet Crow on her win and what's next
After claiming 57% of the vote in the Nov. 8 election, Janet Crow is the County Collector-elect. She will take office on March 1. 
Crow stopped by the Howell County News office on Nov. 10 to discuss her win in the hotly contested election. When Crow initially filed to run for office, she expected the outcome to be settled in the August Primary. Active in various Republican groups, Crow first filed as a Republican, but later withdrew and refiled to run as an Independent when her candidacy on the Republican ballot was challenged by her opponent, Mark Collins. 
Absent from the August Primary ballot, Crow's name did appear on last Tuesday's general election ballot. She carried 7,340 votes to Collins' 5,731, according to unofficial election results. It was a close, but decisive, victory.
Though some, including opinions printed in this publication, have suggested that Crow ran for Collector of Revenue as a challenge to the existing power structure in Howell County, Crow says that is not the case. 
"I didn't run to shake anything up," said Crow in a Nov. 10 interview. "It wasn't a personal thing to run against [Mark Collins.] I was running for the office I was qualified to do...I wanted to win on my qualifications, and I hate how ugly it got."
As of the date of the interview, Crow had not received a concession from her opponent, who is a public official in Howell County for 26 years. 
Crow said Thursday she is sticking to her campaign promises to change the way the County Collector collects a salary.
"I won't do it. Right is right and wrong is wrong," she said, referring to long-standing contracts between the Collector and the municipalities of Willow Springs and West Plains. Under the contracts, the Collector of Revenue claims as income a percentage of taxes collected on behalf of the municipalities. 
Throughout her campaign, Crow talked about changing or renegotiating these contracts, and now that she is the winner, she says she intends to do so.
"I want to keep the contracts because the cities can't afford to hire their own collectors. The county is already doing that work. I want [the county and the cities] to work together. I don't see where the Collector should be pocketing the money," Crow said.
She went on to express her hope for unity among the municipalities across Howell County. She said she spent most of election day in Willow Springs and Mountain View to send that message.
"I want them to know it's a county job," Crow explained. "I find it important not to leave out the small towns."
For now, Crow is looking for her life to get somewhat back to normal before she assumes her duties next year. She mentioned volunteering, visiting family, getting back into a routine with her cattle, and observing deer season as important things she hopes to do before March. 
 
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