Judge Michael Wehrkamp of the Paulding County Probate/Juvenile Court has announced he will seek re-election this year.
“It’s been a blessing and an honor to serve our Paulding County community,” Wehrkamp said. “When I took office five years ago, there were many projects on my to do list. We’ve accomplished many of those, but we also have many future projects we wish to accomplish to continue to better serve the children and families in our county.”
Wehrkamp was elected to the Probate/Juvenile Court in 2016 and is seeking a second term. While in office, Wehrkamp has overseen several projects and initiatives, including the creation of the Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) Program to serve children who have experienced abuse or neglect, a Mentoring Program to serve the county’s at-risk youth, a Diversion Program that allows eligible juvenile offenders an opportunity to accept responsibility for their actions and complete alternative programming, and local continuing education opportunities for guardians.
The court has applied for and been awarded over $715,000 in competitive state grant funds during Wehrkamp’s tenure. Those funds have allowed the court to do many things, from updating its technology and creating a court website to establishing programming for youth and families.
The court has also invested a great deal of time over the past five years in establishing community partnerships. “It makes good, common sense for us to establish open and regular lines of communication with the schools and agencies who serve the same populations we do,” Wehrkamp said. “Our youth and families have benefited from that increased collaboration.”
Wehrkamp remains an active member of the community and enjoys speaking to the students of the county. “One of the things I’ve enjoyed most in this position is speaking to our young people of all ages about the branches of government and the role of the judiciary,” Wehrkamp said. He and his wife, Laura, reside in rural Paulding and enjoy spending time with their two children, Andrew and Lillian.
Wehrkamp is a candidate in the Republican primary election to be held May 3, 2022.
“I would be honored to serve our county for another term. I respectfully ask the citizens of Paulding County for their vote,” Wehrkamp said.
