After debate on pay and duties, Story County authorizes second deputy recorder

The Story County Board of Supervisors voted May 19 to authorize a second deputy recorder position after hearing from Recorder Stacy Harridge, who said the office has operated with a vacancy in that role since she took office and that a deputy would allow for better segregation of duties and continuity.

Harridge described operational pressures and argued the county’s current job‑grade options (entry clerk or senior clerk) make it difficult to hire the experienced candidate she seeks. She told the board an entry‑level grade‑10 hire would start at roughly $21.63 per hour (about $44,989.33 annually), whereas a deputy position could be set at about 60% of the recorder’s salary (Harridge gave an example starting figure of $71,020.20). After discussing benefits and payroll‑tax implications, supervisors and staff clarified that the vacant recording‑clerk slot would be filled as the appointed deputy rather than creating an additional funded position.

Board members asked whether segregation of duties could be achieved by revising job descriptions or reorganizing duties; Harridge said those changes had been tried and that a deputy better matched the office’s needs for training, continuity and higher‑skill work (such as passport agency oversight, records lookup and audit‑adjacent tasks). One supervisor noted the net budget impact would be smaller than initially feared once benefits and budgeted senior‑clerk figures were taken into account: the board discussed an approximate $11,000 annual salary difference rather than a higher figure initially estimated.

After discussion the board moved to authorize filling the second deputy recorder position using the current vacant recording‑clerk slot, the motion was seconded and carried.