Larimer County Clerk and Recorder Tina Harris told the Board of County Commissioners on July 7 that her office reduced customer wait times, expanded remote options and processed large volumes of vehicle, recording and passport transactions in 2024. "Residents can choose what works best for them, and we're here to serve them in every format," Harris said.

Harris said the Motor Vehicle unit processed 410,554 transactions in 2024 and that in‑person visits rose to roughly 155,000 after the office reopened to walk‑ins in late 2023. Average in‑lobby wait times fell from about 15 minutes to just over nine minutes, which Harris attributed to “process improvement, smarter staffing, and better tools.” Call volume dropped from about 106,000 calls in 2020 to under 70,000 in 2024; average hold time fell from about 15 minutes to 2 minutes, 20 seconds after a callback feature and phone‑system upgrades were put in place. Online transactions rose to about 178,000 (a 14% increase from 2020) and kiosks processed nearly 38,000 transactions.

On recordings and vital records, Harris said document recording volume has stabilized and the office issued more than 3,800 marriage and civil‑union licenses in 2024. Passport services grew markedly: the office accepted more than 6,300 passport applications and provided over 6,200 passport photos in 2024, and the office ran two "Passport Saturdays" to meet demand.

Harris added elections as a data point the office is now reporting. For the November 2024 general election the county reported 274,747 active eligible voters and a turnout of 83.73%, higher than the statewide average of 79.85%. Larimer returned 214,968 mail ballots and recorded 17,343 in‑person ballots cast at voter service and polling centers (VSPCs). Harris said Larimer met the statutory requirement of 20 VSPCs for the general election and maintained 24 24‑hour drop boxes countywide, one more than the state minimum.

On preparations for the City of Fort Collins’ first ranked‑choice voting election, Harris said her office has updated equipment, is collaborating with Boulder County (which conducted a ranked‑choice election in 2023) and plans a mock election with Fort Collins staff to test ballot layout, tabulation and reporting.

Commissioners asked about process changes that produced shorter waits. Harris said the office uses “smarter staffing” — shifting staff to clear mail and backlogs — and added phone‑system routing and callback features. When commissioners raised questions about walk‑in service, Harris said the office operates a hybrid model: customers can make appointments or use walk‑in kiosks; those with urgent, unexpected needs can be assisted immediately.

Why it matters: the Clerk and Recorder’s services — vehicle licensing, recordings, passports and elections — are frequent touchpoints between residents and county government. The office’s operational improvements affect customer access and voting logistics, including preparations for a new voting method that will change ballot design and tabulation in Fort Collins.

Details for the record: the office runs kiosks at King Soopers locations and reports process gains without adding permanent staff for passports (the office staffed two desks for passport acceptance and used appointments and Passport Saturdays to meet demand). Harris said comparisons across years should be made with caution because election turnout and recording volumes vary with external factors such as contests and market conditions. Harris and budget staff said the 2024 presentation used the current KPI set; broader KPI revisions are planned for next year.