Former elections board member Caycie Dix is putting her hat in the ring as a Democratic candidate for Rockdale County Probate Judge.

"My ultimate career goal has always been to be a judge," said the 31-year-old Dix, a private practice attorney. She said she became interested in the Probate Court office after having to handle matters for her 92-year-old grandmother.

"It wasn't until we began to go through that process, I realized this is something we shouldn't be waiting on," she said. She said if she were elected Probate Judge, she would make sure the office had more visibility.

"The Probate Court is the one that can be the most proactive. We could have more community outreach programs...It could draw alliances with the other two local bar associations to educate the public."

For instance, she said, "We have so many grandparents taking the responsibility of raising their grandchild. But most don't realize they need a guardianship over that child."

Probate Court handles transactions and documents such as wills, marriage licenses, birth certificates, adoption papers and proceedings and gun licenses.

Dix also said her primary emphasis would be on providing services and questioned the increase in the budget of the Probate Court office.

"I don't believe expenses should increase...and the services haven't increased," she said. "Where is that money going to?"

Dix recently resigned after a short term on the elections board where she had been appointed as the Democratic member last year after the previous Democratic and Republican members were dismissed by Superior Court Judge Sidney Nation. She and the new Republican member Jonny Brown were charged with selecting the at-large member, who ended up being former Judge William Todd.

Dix also previously ran for Post II Commissioner in 2010 and lost in the Democratic primary to Courtney Dillard.

She said her previous experience running for the Post II Commission seat allowed her to develop relationships and connections in the community. "This time I'm more familiar with the process," she said.

Dix, a Rockdale County High School alumna, attended Mercer University and was the first in her family to graduate from college. She graduated from Thomas Cooley Law School in Michigan in 2007 and has been in private practice for about three years, handling family law, probate, wills, criminal and personal injury cases. She is a co-founder and vice president of the NewRock Legal Society, a member of the Young Democrats of Rockdale County, Georgia Federation of Democratic Women Rockdale County chapter, a trustee of the Glory of New Hope Baptist Church in Atlanta, and Girl

Scout Troop leader of the Conyers Service Unit 10574 for the past three years.

She will hold a fundraising event on May 5, 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. at the community room of the Lake St. James apartments, sponsored by the Delta Sigma Theta sorority.

For more information, www.dixforprobate.com contact Dix at info@dixforprobate.com or (678) 522-8897.