CURRENT MISSION: Eliminate the elected office of the Recorder of Deeds and merge its functions with the office of the County Clerk
CURRENT MISSION: Eliminate the elected office of the Recorder of Deeds and merge its functions with the office of the County Clerk
TOWARDS A BETTERCOOK COUNTY
A Series of Ideas to Make Cook CountyGovernment Work Better for its Residents
TOWARDS A BETTERCOOK COUNTY
A Series of Ideas to Make Cook CountyGovernment Work Better for its Residents
THE OPPORTUNITYTHE OPPORTUNITY Cook County has dozens of independent Cook County has dozens of independent
administrative offices run by separately-elected administrative offices run by separately-elected officials officials
Positions that are narrowly drawn and administrative Positions that are narrowly drawn and administrative in nature provide an excellent opportunity for in nature provide an excellent opportunity for consolidation with another officeconsolidation with another office
We have an elected Recorder of Deeds for some We have an elected Recorder of Deeds for some public record keeping and an elected County Clerk public record keeping and an elected County Clerk for other public record keeping for other public record keeping
Record keeping is an administrative functionRecord keeping is an administrative function
8 of the 10 biggest US counties have a combined 8 of the 10 biggest US counties have a combined Recorder and Clerk officeRecorder and Clerk office
Merging the functions of the Recorder of Deeds into Merging the functions of the Recorder of Deeds into the Clerk’s office will improve constituent service, the Clerk’s office will improve constituent service, reduce political and bureaucratic inefficiency and reduce political and bureaucratic inefficiency and save taxpayer dollarssave taxpayer dollars
Towards a Better
Cook County
Budget: $11.7MStaff: 206 employeesMission: Public record keeper
Key office tasks:•Maintain official records of land transactions•Maintain official records of UCC, tax liens and lien releases•Maintain other official records such as military discharge documents•Collect and record transfer taxes•Link land records to GIS data
Key office tasks:•Maintain vital records•Maintain other official records such as business name documentation•Maintain County’s property tax maps and calculate tax rates•Maintain legislative records, ethics filings•Administer elections for County suburbs• Recorders’ record keeping functions align with the Clerk’s Vital Recorders’ record keeping functions align with the Clerk’s Vital
Records BureauRecords Bureau• Recorders’ transfer tax functions align with the Clerk’s Tax Services Recorders’ transfer tax functions align with the Clerk’s Tax Services Division Division
Note: This is a summary of each office’s key functions. It is not an exhaustive list of functions by office.Note: This is a summary of each office’s key functions. It is not an exhaustive list of functions by office.
SEPARATE OFFICES, OVERLAPPING SEPARATE OFFICES, OVERLAPPING MISSIONSMISSIONS
Budget: $28.7MStaff: 285 employeesMission: Public record keeper and suburban election administrator
Towards a Better
Cook County
ONLY 2 OF THE 10 BIGGEST US ONLY 2 OF THE 10 BIGGEST US COUNTIES HAVE SEPARATELY COUNTIES HAVE SEPARATELY
ELECTEDELECTEDRECORDERS OF DEEDSRECORDERS OF DEEDS
County State Pop.Recorder, Clerk
combinedRecorder, Clerk
elected separatelyWebsite
Los Angeles CA 9.8M X Registrar-Recorder/Clerk
Cook IL 5.2M X Recorder & Clerk separate
Harris TX 4.1M X Clerk (is Recorder)
Maricopa AZ 3.8M X Recorder & Board Clerk separate
San Diego CA 3.1M X Assessor/Recorder/Clerk
Orange CA 3M X Clerk-Recorder
Kings NY 2.5M X NY City Register
Miami-Dade FL 2.5M XClerk of the Courts (is Recorder)
*separate Clerk of the Board handles legislative records only
Dallas TX 2.4M X Clerk is Recorder
Queens NY 2.2M X NY City Register
Towards a Better
Cook County
WHY IS MERGING OFFICES WHY IS MERGING OFFICES REFORM?REFORM?
Better constituent
service
Cost savings for taxpayers
Less politics in government
•Centralized record keeping makes the service more user-friendly by increasing ease of navigation
•Reduce the number of offices visited for record application and retrieval
•Automating and updating of records done by one official
•Civic Federation estimates combining offices could save $800K. (Item 31, pg. 154)
•In 2003, then-Commissioner Mike Quigley estimated merger could save $600K (Pg. 23)
•Based on these calculations (which assumed additional office consolidations) and new analysis we estimate taxpayer savings could approximately One Million Dollars annually
•Cook County has 29 separately elected officials. Larger Los Angeles County has 8.
•8 of 10 largest counties combine Clerk/Recorder
Sources: Quigley report, Civic Federation, LA County documentationWhite Elects To Have Post Be Appointed Chicago Sun-Times January. Lou Ortiz. Pg. 34.
Chicago Sun-Times
Towards a Better
Cook County
SO HOW DO WE DO SO HOW DO WE DO IT?IT?
“Our government rests in public opinion.” - Abraham Lincoln
Ask the public through a County-wide Ask the public through a County-wide referendum.referendum.
The Cook County Board of The Cook County Board of Commissioners must approve and Commissioners must approve and adopt a resolution to initiate the adopt a resolution to initiate the submission of this public question.submission of this public question.
The public question will be asked at The public question will be asked at the November 2012 general election.the November 2012 general election.
Approval by a simple majority will Approval by a simple majority will allow for the offices of the County allow for the offices of the County Clerk and Recorder of Deeds to be Clerk and Recorder of Deeds to be merged before the end of 2015merged before the end of 2015
We’ve done this before in Cook County...
- 1972: A County-wide referendum eliminated the elected Coroner’s Office.
- It became the Office of the Medical Examiner; a position appointed by the President of the Board.
Source: (10 ILCS 5/) Election Code; IL Constitution, Art. VII
Towards a Better
Cook County
WE DID IT WE DID IT BEFORE...BEFORE...
On August 16, 1972, the County Board approved a resolution proposing a question referendum be placed in the general election ballot on November 7, 1972, calling for the elimination of the Office of Coroner of Cook County, replacing it with a Medical Examiner
On November 7, 1972, the voters, by an almost 9 to 1 majority, approved the proposition, setting in motion the replacement of an elected office with an appointed one.
Sources: Cook County Board Journal of Procedures. Records of meetings held in August 16, 1972 Sources: Cook County Board Journal of Procedures. Records of meetings held in August 16, 1972 and March 4, 1974. Tazwell County Board Records. Resolution approved January 13, 2011 and March 4, 1974. Tazwell County Board Records. Resolution approved January 13, 2011
Journal Star, “Journal Star, “Tazewell voters abolish recorder of deeds post”. Tazewell voters abolish recorder of deeds post”. Pekin, IL.Pekin, IL. April 6, 2011April 6, 2011Chicago Sun-TimesChicago Sun-Times
IT HAPPENED IT HAPPENED AGAIN!AGAIN!
On January 13, 2011, in Tazewell County, Illinois, the members of the Board approved a resolution presenting the referendum asking the electorate whether or not to abolish the Recorder of Deeds Office, consolidating it with the County Clerk’s Office
On April 5, 2011, 65.5% of the Tazewell County voters approved the referendum that calls for a consolidation to take place at the expiration of the current Tazewell County Recorder’s term on December 2012.
Towards a Better
Cook County
December 2011November 6,
2012December 5,
2012December,
2015
File referendum
language with County Clerk
HOW LONG WILL IT HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE?TAKE?
Inform voters of their choice to vote for merged offices
New elected Recorder is
sworn in
General Election
Transition team from Clerk’s office works with newly elected Recorder on
transfer of duties
Regular updates are posted for the Public to know transition progress
All functions have been transferred
Towards a Better
Cook County
October and November, 2011
Introduction and approval
of County Board
Resolution
