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Register of Deeds gets approval for preservation, office improvements and an added document-processing clerk
Summary
Lexington County Register of Deeds won council approval for several budget items: a small maintenance fee for an oversized scanner, funding reallocation to preserve records and a new document-processing clerk position to handle high daily document volume.
Lexington County Council approved a set of requests from the Register of Deeds office Wednesday, including restoration/preservation funding for older records, a maintenance agreement for an oversized scanner, office acoustic improvements and an additional document-processing clerk to address heavy daily workloads.
The Register of Deeds reported the office averages roughly 200 recorded documents per day (with recent days exceeding that) and said the office handles same‑day recording, mail processing, and substantial walk‑in customer service. Staff said the office has roughly eight full‑time employees and a set of part‑time staff used for tours and education, but that staff levels to process recording, indexing and proofing have not grown proportionally with transactions.
What council approved: After the Register explained that the preservation fund (used to treat historic record books) had been drawn down and needs replenishment, council approved preserving funding levels and approved reallocating $14,000 of existing preservation funds for modest office renovations (acoustic walls) to improve service-level privacy and reduce background noise at service windows. Council also approved a recurring personnel request for one document‑processing clerk (Document Processing Clerk 3) to boost same‑day recording throughput and an air‑purification/bipolar‑ionization system to improve indoor air quality. The clerk estimated combined capital/recurring amounts during discussion; the clerk position recurring-cost figure was presented during the meeting at about $54,194 (salary, benefits, PC/equipment).
Why it matters: Register staff said walk‑in customers can require up to 30 minutes each when staff must handle searches and copies; high walk‑in volumes force multiple staffers to pause indexing and recording work. The new clerk would be dedicated to the start‑to‑finish document process to preserve same‑day recording timelines and reduce backlog risk. Preservation of original record books is a statutory recordkeeping priority for land‑title continuity.
Next steps: Administration will implement the approved items; HR and Finance will classify the new clerk position and the Register of Deeds will proceed with recruitment and scheduling to preserve same‑day recording service.
