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County clerk outlines election duties, library support, tax-deed and public services
Summary
County Clerk Ashley Riker told the executive committee she oversees county library contracts, coordinates tax-deed sales, manages dog-license pass-through payments to the humane society, expanded passport and marriage-license hours that have increased revenue, and election administration including in-house ballot programming and voluntary audits.
Washington County Clerk Ashley Riker briefed the Executive Committee May 18 on the clerk's office responsibilities, including libraries, tax-deed sales, marriage and passport services and election administration.
Riker said the county contracts with five libraries and currently pays 100% of circulation costs (above the 70% statutory requirement) and that the county acts as a pass-through for dog-license proceeds to the Washington County Humane Society. On tax-deed sales she described a move to set minimum bids through an appraisal process rather than strictly by amounts owed and said the county uses an online auction platform to administer sales.
Riker highlighted expanded customer-service hours for passports and marriage licenses, reporting the office handled more than 700 marriage licenses last year and nearly 1,000 passports; she said those extended hours have been revenue-positive. "We've seen an increase in revenue," she said, noting passport photo revenue and fee collections help offset staff time.
On elections, Riker said the clerk's office programs ballots in-house, collects municipal returns and conducts a county-level canvas and voluntary post-election audits of randomly selected reporting units. She said online tax records go back to 2015 and older paper records are available through her office subject to privacy rules.
Supervisors asked whether extended clerk hours were cost-neutral; Riker said the changes have produced net revenue and improved public access. No formal action was taken.
