On November 6th, the voters in McLean County will be asked if they want to move the Recorder of Deeds office into the County Clerk’s Office. Since private property rights are critical, and what makes us different from other countries, weakening control of land documents puts our freedom and liberty at risk. Please vote NO – keep the Recorder an independent and and elected steward!
Below are 27 other reasons to vote NO:
- Inconsistency of reported cost savings. Findings are inconsistent. It was reported that Mclean County would save $40,000. to $90,000. with supporters of the elimination claiming to save $250,000. In Tazewell County supporters claimed consolidation would save $100,000.00 but when the Tazewell County Clerk was questioned at the August 2012 county board meeting she stated that it would save $40,000. at best. When prodded to do better, she stated maybe she could save $50,000.
- County Clerk’s main focus has to be, and is on elections. The County Clerk stated she was excited to have the additional employees from the Recorder’s office that she could pull away to work on elections.
- Reassigning experienced Deputy Recorders to elections would result in an inexperienced election staff and an overburdened and understaffed recorder’s office that would affect the timely recording of real estate transactions. The result could be possible law suits in both the election and the recording side of the county clerk’s office.
- Experience is vital. One mistake, if it results in the obstruction of a sale of property would wipe out any cost savings proposed by the merger.
- An experienced and dedicated recorder has the commitment and knowledge to research new products that generate additional cash flow to the county and relieves the tax burden on McLean County Citizens.
- The recorder of deeds is responsible for over 300 different types of documents, none of which are duplicated by any other office.
- The recorder of deeds keeps a watchful eye over billions of dollars in real estate.
- The American Public has raised their expectations of the duties provided by county recorders with regards to the “Official Public Record.”
- Property Fraud is the fastest growing white-collar crime in America and the recorder has been diligent in reporting and stopping it.
- Timely processing of real estate transactions is vital to our economy. Gutting the office of experience and adequate staffing could jeopardize that.
- Gutting the office of a leader and staff would result in valuable projects such as digitalizing documents, and restoring others, to be outsourced and possibly done incorrectly, as has happened in counties without adequate staffing.
- Recorder’s diligence in reporting mortgage fraud has helped return $1.billion of the $25 billion awarded back to Illinois taxpayers.
- A ‘yes’ vote on this referendum could ultimately strip voters of their rights and power to hold on to the accountability they previously had… or ever will again.
- A ‘Yes’ vote by voters to eliminate elected positions would cost voters their right to ever vote for or against, or have any say over who governs them.
- Every seat is important and we should never give up our right to decide who it is held by.
- Eliminating elected officials and employees is not the preferred solution to balancing budgets and cutting needless expense.
- The citizens preferred method for saving money for the county would be for the county board and administrator to cut the budgets of the elected officials, not eliminate their positions. Also eliminating waste and redundancy within the bureaucracy would be more beneficial.
- Citizens need elected officials to run the offices and be accountable to the taxpayers who elected them.
- There is no statistical data to prove the consolidation of offices have saved any money in the only county it has occurred.
- Four counties have passed a referendum regarding the recorder of deeds office. Two counties (DeKalb and Kendall) voted not to establish a recorder’s office, when meeting the population level needed to allow for a separate office. Two counties (Tazewell and Adams) voted to merge the recorder with the clerk. Adams County has implemented the consolidation. Tazewell is unknown.
- According to Adams County, the only county to actually implement the consolidation entirely, the process has been and is, chaotic.
- Merging offices unnecessarily disrupts efficiency and workflow.
- Rightsizing government cannot be obtained by growing a bigger bureaucracy.
- The job will not go away. It will still have to be performed by “someone” and there would be a cost associated with this duty. Negating any cost savings.
- The current recorder has exceeded goals for efficiency and accountability, making the recorders office one of the most efficient offices in the courthouse.
- When software becomes obsolete, state statute allows the county to hire a consultant to do the research. This would cost thousands of dollars more than an elected official’s salary. Consultants would not be needed if there was a dedicated and experienced recorder in charge of evaluating the hundreds of software venders that peddle recording software
- ‘Why fix what isn’t broken?’
AMEN! This is an outstanding evaluation of why this Ref needs to be voted down. And yes it’s true that at a September conference of Illinois Clerks & Recorders, our County Clerk told a group that she intended to strip all the Recorder workers out to make them work on Elections.
Anyone who wants accurate information about what I did say, feel free to call me at 309.888.5183 or stop by the office at 115. E. Washington St. Room 102. I am neutral on this Referendum for now; voters should weigh all the accurate facts and decide.
Anything you want to disagree with – forward it. [email protected]
Well, I’d say this is a very good way to “talk to the voters.” She used to “talk to the voters” all the time on her blog, didn’t she? So what’s wrong with this forum now? It’s actually very easy: Did she say this at this or didn’t she say it? Yes or no?
I’ll talk to the voters in person, thanks. 888.5183 or in person at my office, thanks.