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Registrar office short-handed as births, deaths and weekend coverage climb
Summary
City registrar and clerk staff reported heavy workload and an unfilled registrar vacancy, asking council to consider regrading or removing the position from the union to attract candidates.
The city registrar and clerkoffice told the council it is operating under significant staffing strain after the registrar left in February amid rising birth and death records workload.
Clerk and registrar staff reported they have processed roughly 200 deaths and 125 births so far this year; in 2024 the office recorded 2,169 births and 7,618 deaths. The office said the vacancy for the registrar position has been posted with a starting salary of $37,600 and a range up to $41,000 but that there have been no qualified applicants.
The clerk said the registrar role is mayoral appointment for a four-year term but is also covered by civil-service/union rules; she requested guidance on whether the position could be regraded or removed from the union so the city could offer a more competitive salary. "It takes two years to train someone," the clerk said, and she said turnover risks losing trained staff after the city invests in their training.
The office also asked for funding in the repairs line for front-office electrical work and a secure room for vital-record books with shelving and a camera to reduce manual handling of heavy books. Council members suggested using funds in an available salary line if the registrar position is not filled and flagged $43,000 in a separate line as a potential source.
Why it matters: Vital records functions are time-sensitive and legally required; long vacancy stretches and limited staffing can delay issuance of birth and death certificates and affect funeral directors, retirees and other residents who rely on timely documentation.
Clarifying details: The clerk said open enrollment and benefits fair attendance were strong across departments and that HR will bill retirees for plan-year premiums. The registrar and clerk said some duties (e.g., printing certified birth/death documents) require state systems that limit what staff without formal certification can do; those limits also shape staffing needs.
Ending: Council members asked staff to explore options with HR and civil service and to consider short-term reallocation of funds to retain deputies and keep vital records services operating.
