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Register of Deeds seeks $64,320 to start scanning and preservation work; board approves pilot funding
Summary
Register of Deeds Joshua Korr reviewed records‑management improvements and requested a $64,320 budget amendment to begin a scanning/preservation pilot for deed books; commissioners approved the project after asking about retention of pre‑1900 handwritten volumes and overall preservation costs.
Craven County’s register of deeds told commissioners on Feb. 16 that his office has undertaken an operational overhaul and needs an initial budget appropriation to launch a records‑preservation pilot.
Joshua Korr, the county’s register of deeds, described inventory and vault reorganization, a move to walk‑in services, a one‑stop marriage‑license option, improved digital storage (SharePoint), and other operational changes. He said the county’s preservation backlog is large — he estimated total preservation needs at about $3,260,000 — and proposed a test‑scan project of 200 deed books to begin addressing the backlog. Two bids were received for the scanning work ($64,320 and $104,679.75); Korr recommended the lower bid and asked the board to approve a $64,320 budget amendment from the general fund balance into contract services for the Register of Deeds.
Commissioners questioned whether the state prescribes preservation methods and asked about which books would be retained. Korr said he is keeping handwritten books from before 1900 (he described retaining approximately 175 handwritten volumes for historical reasons) and that the scanning pilot would focus on records that can be digitized. Several commissioners praised the operational improvements; Commissioner Smith voiced concerns about making sure historical materials — particularly records important to Black history — are not discarded.
A motion to approve the $64,320 budget amendment was made and seconded; the board approved the appropriation by roll‑call vote (one recorded no vote from Commissioner Smith). Korr said the pilot is the first of multiple preservation phases and that the county will address additional compliance work (including a microfilm backlog he estimated would cost approximately $150,000) as funding becomes available.
Why this matters: Deed‑book preservation protects property records and historical documents that can be fragile or at risk of deterioration. The pilot starts targeted work to digitize records, but Korr warned full preservation will require substantial investment over many years.
What’s next: The Register of Deeds will begin the scanning pilot and return to the board for any subsequent budget approvals to address larger preservation phases.
