Registry of Deeds manager urges approval of FY2026 request, cites past cuts and potential supplemental funding sources

The manager of the Norfolk County Registry of Deeds presented the registry’s fiscal 2026 budget request on Feb. 26 and urged commissioners to approve the submission, saying past cuts have left key records‑protection and contractual service lines underfunded.

Manager’s presentation and argument: the registry manager said the department’s budget has been reduced several times since fiscal 2021, when the registry budget was about $3.66 million, noting FY2025 spending of $3,082,640.82 and a decline in staff positions from 48 to 40 over recent years. He said specific budget groups (referred to as groups 2, 3 and 4) fund indexing, imaging and records‑protection services and that reductions in those codes have created operational risk.

Numbers and funding options: the manager referenced a FY2026 request figure shown on the cover page of the budget documents as $3,300,000. He described recent increases in vendor costs — including a reported 48% rise in Iron Mountain costs since FY2022 — and said a supplemental appropriation of $120,000 had been requested previously to address shortfalls. The manager outlined potential internal funding sources for supplemental payments, including available income in county accounts, deeds excise statutory shares that currently show six‑figure amounts, and other prior board allocations; he urged commissioners to consider these options rather than forcing end‑of‑year transfers.

Commission questions and scheduling: Commissioners asked for confirmation of the cover‑page number and requested additional documentation and timing. The manager said advisory board review and a recommended supplemental appropriation would follow; he referenced an advisory‑board schedule with an April 16 meeting. The commissioners voted to take the registry budget under advisement.

Ending: The registry manager asked commissioners to fund necessary operational lines upfront to avoid stop‑gap transfers during the fiscal year; commissioners asked staff to return with the supplemental appropriation request for advisory board consideration and potential action.