Recorder Budget Unit 2705 Department Head: James Fitch, Elected SUMMARY OF EXPENDITURES AND REVENUES APPROPRIATIONS: Salaries and Benefits Services and Supplies Fixed Assets Other Financing Uses TOTAL EXPENDITURES FY 2008-09 Actual FY 2009-10 FY 2010-11 Approved Budget Estimated Actual Department Requested CAO Recommended Incr/(Decr) From Budget $1,826,197 $1,580,382 $1,522,959 $1,496,189 $1,476,078 ($104,304) 1,275,886 1,084,779 1,035,330 1,433,660 1,433,660 348,881 0 0 0 141,338 141,338 141,338 0 1,107,817 0 0 0 (1,107,817) $3,102,083 $3,772,978 $2,558,289 $3,071,187 $3,051,076 ($721,902) REVENUES: Licenses and Permits Charges for Services Miscellaneous $3,854 $3,900 $3,200 $3,900 $3,900 $0 1,661,594 1,619,856 1,601,403 1,872,748 1,872,748 252,892 5,036 1,000 6,304 999 999 (1) Other Financing Sources: Recorders Modernization Fund 2,403,096 1,499,794 1,499,794 1,638,558 1,638,558 138,764 Micrographic-Rcd 0 195,131 195,131 179,389 179,389 (15,742) Recorders Electronic Recording 0 34,500 34,500 18,500 18,500 (16,000) Recorder`s SSN Truncation 0 134,382 134,382 135,625 135,625 1,243 Vital & Health Stat-Recorder 0 104,255 104,255 148,675 148,675 44,420 Community Development Prog 0 0 241 450 450 450 TOTAL REVENUES $4,073,580 $3,592,818 $3,579,210 $3,998,844 $3,998,844 $406,026 Less Savings Incentive NET GENERAL FUND COST $0 $1,107,817 $0 $0 $0 ($1,107,817) ($971,497) ($927,657) ($1,020,921) ($927,657) ($947,768) ($20,111) Authorized Positions: Funded Positions: 26 26 26 26 26 0 26 24 24 24 24 0 OPERATIONAL SUMMARY Mission: Fundamental Functions & Responsibilities: The mission of the Recorder s Office is to preserve and provide for the public a true and reliable, readily accessible, permanent account of real property and other official records and vital human events, both historic and current, and to do so with commitment, courtesy and excellence. Responsible for recording deeds, mortgages, decrees of court, and leases affecting title to real property Record subdivision maps Maintains uniform commercial code filings Record birth and death records Registrar of public marriages Provide a secure and permanent archive of all County recordings available for research by the public Provide plain or certified copies of vital records such as birth, death, and marriage certificates County of Kern 2010-11 Recommended Budget 104
IMPACTS OF RECOMMENDED BUDGET The recommended budget permits the Recorder s Office, a division of the Assessor s Office, to maintain services at the level provided in FY 2009-10. The recommended budget requires the division to hold vacant two unfunded positions to meet the targeted net General Fund cost guideline. The division has budgeted to use Budget Savings Incentive credits of $308,000 to fund the Hall of Records remodel project. GOALS AND PERFORMANCE MEASURES Performance Measure #1: Number of official documents recorded. FY 2007-2008 FY 2008-2009 FY 2009-2010 FY 2009-2010 FY 2010-2011 240,872 202,396 200,000 196,004 200,000 The number of official documents processed by the Recorder s Office from a variety of sources including federal, State, and local agencies, title companies, attorneys, private citizens and via the US mail. To comply with federal, State and local laws and ordinances that require the recordation of certain documents submitted to the Recorder that are authorized by law to be recorded. Anticipating the high volume recording years were simply part of a real estate activity bubble, our office chose not to hire permanent workers but rather decided that temporary help would better fit the bill. Hiring recently retired recorder personnel as extra help got the office through those hectic years. Doing so, these experienced and already trained individuals saved the county the expense of training new people to do the job and the regret of having to let those same personnel go during the tough economic time that followed and in which we find ourselves now. As of this date, we have continued to maintain the same number of recording clerks since 2003. In that year, we filled one vacant Legal Process Technician position, bringing staff totals from four to five clerks. It is also important to note the Recorder s recording volume increased from 180,225 documents in 1995, with four legal process technicians, to 410,682 documents in 2005 with five legal technicians and two extra help positions. In 2009, we recorded 202,396 documents with five legal technicians and no extra help. In summarizing 2009, this office maintained a nearly identical proportionate workload as it experienced in 1995. With Kern County still experiencing the downturn in the economy, particularly the real estate market, it has provided the Recorders Office opportunities to work on much needed projects that were diverted, postponed or set aside during the high volume years 2002 through 2007. The downturn we are experiencing gives us the opportunity to address the legislatively mandated projects that have deadline dates that must legally be honored. Currently, documents received via mail experience a 1-week turnaround as compared to 6 weeks during high volume years. A continuation of the upward trend in foreclosures over FY 2009-10 is expected but will not contribute to the number of recordings because of the depressed economy and real estate market. Additional attention can now be focused on deferred projects. Conversion Project involves re-creation of existing documents on microfilm to digital image format Conversion project completion necessary to comply with AB 1168 AB 1168 requires Recorder to develop SSN Truncation Program AB 1168 legislative effort to avert Identity Theft Conversion Project and provisions of AB 1168 must be completed without further delay to: Reach and maintain highest level of service Ability to provide services comparable to those provided in other counties To preserve this Office s standard of service to Kern County s citizens County of Kern 2010-11 Recommended Budget 105
COMPARABLE COUNTY STUDY Total # Recorded Documents Total Staff Documents Per Staff Kern 201,149 24 8,382 Ventura 169,454 43 3,941 Fresno 178,000 21 8,477 San Joaquin 200,005 31 6,452 Alameda 363,977 70 5,200 Contra Costa 279,786 52 5,375 Santa Clara 382,809 74 5,173 Stanislaus 136,873 25 5,475 Additional funding sources are: Recorder s Fee Fund Micrographics Fund Recorder s Modernization Fund Vital & Health Statistics Fund County of Kern 2010-11 Recommended Budget 106
Performance Measure #2: Number of Births, Deaths Processed and Marriages Certificates Registered. FY 2007-2008 FY 2008-2009 FY 2009-2010 FY 2009-2010 FY 2010-2011 26,194 25,919 25,500 24,795 26,000 This is a measure of the total number of Vital Statistics records occurring in Kern County which are processed by the Recorder for public record. To comply with State and local laws and ordinances which require the issuance of copies of the records retained by this office. The number of birth certificates recorded continues to increase as our County s population increases, however, the number of marriage certificates has dropped. In order to maintain the highest level of customer service, we have crosstrained our staff to ensure these documents are kept as current and as accurate as possible, working with the Secretary of State and the local Health Department as required. Additional funding sources include: Recorder s Fee Fund Micrographics Fund Recorder s Modernization Fund Vital & Health Statistics Fund. County of Kern 2010-11 Recommended Budget 107
Performance Measure #3: Number of Copies of Documents issued. FY 2007-2008 FY 2008-2009 FY 2009-2010 FY 2009-2010 FY 2010-2011 71,574 63,208 71,500 59,812 60,000 This is a measure of the total number of copies made of Official Records (deeds, liens, maps, etc.) as well as Vital Statistics records (births, death, marriages) issued by the Recorder in our office or by mail. To comply with State and local laws and ordinances which require the issuance of copies of records retained by this office. Many members of the public are required to have these documents due to recently passed laws and travel restrictions, school enrollment, insurance and retirement benefits. Even with fewer requests, the Recorder s Office continues to be impacted by the process in which we issue copies. The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) developed a new statewide access system which requires county recorders to print only informational certified copies of birth and death certificates from this secured web-based application called VRIRSA. The birth and death certificate images are redacted then returned to the recorder. The total turnaround time is approximately ten minutes compared to the usual time of five minutes. If the certificate is not in the statewide data base, the customer has to come back in 24 hours to pick up their certificate. This means 1 out of every 3 customers are coming back the next day for service. Fewer people and entities require copies of marriage certificates to effect name changes with such government agencies such as Social Security and the California Department of Motor Vehicles. There has also been a reduction in the requests for copies of official records due to the fact that our office has put its grantee and grantor indices on the internet, thus allowing the general public to search those records from home and business. It is important to note, however, that even though the number of hard copy requests has declined, our office has experienced a substantial increase in the number of public inquiries in the form of contact over the phone, internet email and actual in-office visits. We are continuously exploring alternatives which would give us the ability to improve customer service and streamline processes within the Recorder s Office. Presently, we utilize the services of VitalChek which allows our customers to order vital statistics online. This saves our customers time and the expense of visiting the Recorder s office. With the stabilization of the copy order requests, it has allowed our staff to provide a higher level of service to our walk-in customers. Additional funding sources include: Recorder s Fee Fund Micrographics Fund Recorder s Modernization Fund Vital & Health Statistics Fund. County of Kern 2010-11 Recommended Budget 108