Oregon county clerks describe funding squeeze, propose five bills to clarify fees and election operations

Chair Bowman convened the House Committee on Rules informational meeting on Feb. 3, 2025, where leaders of the Oregon Association of County Clerks described declining recording revenues, greater workload for county clerk offices and introduced five bills aimed at clarifying fees and easing election operations.

The association’s president, Michelle Long, Klamath County clerk, said counties rely heavily on recording fees to help fund statutory election duties and that fees collected “are down” when the housing market and mortgage activity fall. “We are funded hugely dependent on the economy and the housing market,” Chris Walker, Jackson County clerk, told the committee, arguing the fee levels in ORS chapter 205 “have not kept up with inflationary and actual costs of doing business.”

The committee heard a 10–15 minute presentation from Long, Dag (Dag/Doug) Robinson and Chris Walker explaining county clerk duties (elections, recording, voter registration, Property Value Appeals Boards, licenses, passports and notary services), how some counties are chartered and others not, and how a drop in mortgage originations and refinance activity has reduced recording fee income that many counties use to support elections.

Why it matters

County clerks said the combination of lower recording revenue, inflation and rising labor costs has forced some offices to reduce staff and shift duties, which they said raises the risk of errors and service delays. The association framed the five bills they requested as targeted fixes that would either raise or clarify fee authority, expand options for providing public services, or reduce administrative strain on elections offices during peak election work.

What the association proposed

House Bill 3383 — Recording fee increases: The association asked to raise the first-page recording fee from $5 to $10 while keeping subsequent pages at $5 each. Chris Walker told the committee that some recording fees “have not been raised in 30 years” and said the proposed increase would provide more stable, county-level funding for statutory duties. Committee members asked how the fee interacts with public access; clerks said many documents are already available online for free in some counties while other counties use subscription/digital-research models that charge for access.

House Bill 3384 — Petition-processing blackout window: Walker described a proposal to permit counties to delay initiative or referendum petition review and signature verification during the conduct of any May or November election because signature review triggers a 30-day statutory deadline and simultaneous election work can strain staff. He said counties may be open to adjusting the bill’s parameters but that the intent is to prioritize conducting elections.

House Bill 3385 — Clarify public-records fees for documents filed with county clerks: Rochelle Long told the committee that ORS references to clerk fees and the general public-records statute have led to inconsistent interpretations. The bill would direct fees for copies of records filed with the county clerk to the existing ORS 205.32 schedule (25¢ per page/digital image unless counties publish records online). Clerks said the bill largely codifies current practice rather than raising new charges.

House Bill 3386 — Allow deputy county clerks to perform marriages: Long said the bill would allow deputy clerks (typically sworn chief deputies) to officiate marriage ceremonies, expanding scheduling flexibility and making bilingual ceremonies easier to provide. The testimony noted the statutory ceremony fee is $117 and that revenue goes to the county general fund.

House Bill 3387 — Permit precinct committee persons to work in elections: Doug/Dag Robinson told the committee that current law disqualifies precinct committee persons (PCPs) who appear on the ballot from working in election offices, which disproportionately affects small counties with limited temporary staff pools. The association asked to remove that barrier so trained local PCPs could continue to be employed or engaged as vetted temporary workers. Clerks emphasized that bipartisan staffing rules and other security measures would still apply.

Committee questions and clarifications

Members pressed clerks on funding mechanics: several representatives asked whether recording fees were originally intended to pay for printing or indexing and whether online access changes that rationale. Clerks said recording fees historically supported microfilming and long-term preservation; equipment and digitization costs have increased while fees have remained unchanged. Clerks also said funding arrangements vary: in some chartered counties the elections department is separately funded from the general fund; in many smaller counties the general fund must fully backfill elections.

On signature verification and mail: representatives asked about Coos County’s postal irregularities and the reliability of vote-by-mail. Rochelle Long and colleagues said local post office performance varies and clerks work with the Secretary of State’s office and local postmasters; they sometimes deliver ballots in person to assisted-living facilities when mail fails.

On search and digital fees: clerks confirmed that a statutory copy/digital-image fee of 25¢ per page exists (ORS 205.32) and that a $3.75 search fee (proposed to be $5) covers staff time to locate older or physically stored records.

Next steps

The committee opened public hearings on each bill; clerks answered committee questions but there were no floor votes or formal committee actions recorded during the hearing. Committee members signaled follow-up questions and discussion about amendments (for example clarifying volunteer/employment language in HB 3387). The association indicated willingness to modify bill language based on committee feedback.

— Ending note

The association asked the committee to consider the package as targeted, county-level changes that do not require general-fund increases at the state level. Clerks said their offices will continue working with the Secretary of State’s office, USPS contacts and county administration to manage operational risks while the legislature considers statutory changes.