Angeline Elderloos, clerk and recorder, briefed commissioners on June 10 about staffing needs in her office and the reasons she is requesting authority to post for a records deputy. She said the office historically has had four deputies for about 20 years and that growth in registered voters, land records, subdivisions and petitions has increased workload.

Elderloos said the office is already using its records preservation fund to pay one deputy to lessen general-fund burden and that the fund arises from a portion of recording fees intended for records preservation. "We are currently paying one of our employees out of it because we wanted to be able to give them a livable wage and lessen the burden on the general fund," she said.

Discussion covered election workload and temporary staffing: Elderloos noted that even with a full staff the office hires temporary workers for elections and that a single temporary worker worked more than 300 hours last year. Public commenter Anne Hallowell suggested delaying hiring until August. Commissioners asked whether August would provide sufficient lead time; Elderloos said she could have someone ready by August. The commissioners then moved and seconded a motion to postpone the posting until August; the motion carried by voice vote.

Revenue context discussed in the meeting: Commissioners and staff discussed a recent legislative fee increase for recorded documents described in the meeting as a $20 increase for the first page and $10 per additional page; meeting remarks referenced effective dates discussed as August 3 and Oct. 1 and that the county anticipates this change could increase annual revenues toward earlier levels (one staff estimate mentioned roughly $150,000). The transcript does not record a final budget action tied to that revenue estimate.

What the action did: The commission did not rescind the previously approved posting; it postponed further action on filling the records-deputy posting until August to save near-term expenses.