Register of Deeds reports quarter one collections, continues indexing backlog project

Jackie Risinger, Geary County Register of Deeds, presented the office's first-quarter financial and activity report to the commission.

Risinger said for January through March 2025 the office collected $82,510 in total revenue: $55,379 in filing fees and $10,279 in copy money (which includes online subscriptions for title companies). Other deposits included $4,213 to the Heritage Trust Fund, $8,426 to the registered-deeds technology fund, and $2,106.50 each to the clerk-tech and treasurer-tech funds. The net amounts to the general fund (file fees and copy money) totaled $65,658.

Document counts for the quarter were 788 total recorded instruments: 237 deeds, 211 mortgages, 78 releases, 34 assignments, 17 miscellaneous documents, 11 surveys and zero plats. Risinger said valid sales (SVQs) reported for the quarter were 58.

Risinger told the commission the office continues an indexing project to process scanned images back to 1980; staff are currently indexing 1983 and expect to finish the mass-indexing work this year. She said records originally on microfiche/cards were digitized and the office is manually indexing to add searchable metadata.

On customer service changes, Risinger said the office has signed up for CanPay and is preparing to accept credit-card payments for copies; she expects to begin routine use once internal testing and coordination with the treasurer's office is complete.

Risinger also noted she had completed a professional training course for registers and is available to support new registers in other counties. The commission accepted the report.