Register of Deeds asks for training funds and $5,000 security upgrade after steady electronic growth

Becky Niosi, Register of Deeds, outlined her office's workload and two specific 2027 requests: increased professional development funding and a one‑time security investment. Niosi said the office recorded about 25,000 documents in 2025 and contributed roughly $1.3 million in recording and copy fee revenue to the general fund, and that 78% of recordings were electronic last year.

She requested raising the professional development line from about $2,368 to $6,799 to cover attendance at state and national conferences on recording standards, cybersecurity and fraud prevention. Niosi said the training would help the office bring best practices back to Shawnee County.

For physical security, she requested a one‑time $5,000 prox‑card reader system for doors to improve access control and protect permanent records. She noted many courthouse offices already have prox readers and that the Register of Deeds plans to replace an aging front door this year as part of its budget.

On filing fees, Niosi said the last statewide change was in 2018 and that altering fees requires legislative action. Commissioners asked about coordinating space at the North Annex should renovation proceed; Niosi said no other department had claimed the specific space and she expected the renovation to be funded with Register of Deeds funds if approved.

Niosi closed by noting her election as vice president of the Kansas Register of Deeds Association and ongoing work on fraud‑prevention legislation.

Next steps: commissioners will consider the Register of Deeds requests as part of the county budget process.