Register of deeds, county clerk and assessor staff reviewed their proposed budgets and line items at the Commission's July 15 workshop, discussing poll‑worker pay, deputy salary allocations and a preservation/modernization account used by the register of deeds.

Register of Deeds staff described the preservation and modernization revenue stream (fees on recorded documents) that funds a special account; the register and treasurer agreed a corresponding expense line should be created so that staffing or contracts charged to that fund appear in both revenue and expense reports.

On personnel, the clerk and register discussed deputy pay rules. The clerk noted that deputies must meet statutory percentages of the elected official's salary (the deputy must be paid a percentage of the elected official's rate), and that adjustments should be budgeted now because actual deputization and pay changes (including certification/testing) could occur before the fiscal year. Staff also modeled poll‑worker pay on expected 2026 minimum wage and assumed a typical 12‑hour day when estimating election day costs; the county will budget for one set of poll workers this cycle and add the second set in an election year as needed.

Clerk and register staff said they would split office furniture or equipment requests between impacted offices (district court/clerk) rather than place the full cost on a single office, and requested a modest increase in election printing and ballot supplies to reflect higher vendor costs and a pending vendor change.

Next steps: clerk, register and assessor staff will finalize departmental line items, including creation of a preservation/modernization expense line and a deputy salary coding plan; staff to incorporate the numbers into the county proposed budget and circulate updated figures to commissioners.