The county clerk serves as the register of deeds and custodian of records for the county. Thus, all legal instruments
filed with the county by private citizens and public officials are kept and preserved by the county clerk. Records
and accounts belonging to the county are also kept by the county clerk.
By law the county clerk also serves as the secretary to several boards, including the board of county commissioners,
the county excise board, the county board of equalization,
and the board of tax roll corrections. Secretary in this context
is an official title for the county clerk's role before, during and after the business meetings held by these boards. For
example, the county clerk posts the agenda and ensures that the
proceedings, decisions and official votes of each member are
accurately recorded and maintained as permanent records.
The duties and responsibilities of the county clerk also
include the financial affairs of the county. The county clerk
reviews all the claims for payment of goods and services purchased
or contracted by the county, and prepares for the
board of county commissioners the proper warrants for
payment. Another duty is preparing the warrants for the
county payroll. In carrying out these duties, the clerk is
required to keep a financial ledger showing all the receipts and expenditures of the county.
As register of deeds, numerous private and public legal documents are recorded and filed in the county clerk's office by
public officials, businesses and individuals. Examples are:
Plat maps of cities, towns, additions and subdivision.
Instruments of title such as deeds and mortgages to real property.
Chattel (personal property) mortgages.
Oil and gas leases
Local, state and federal tax liens.
Real estate liens, merchanic liens, oil and gas liens, and other liens against property located in the county.
Military discharge papers.
The county clerk also maintains a "judgment docket" where orders from the district court on real property are entered.
Purchases, rentals, lease purchase agreements, and repairs paid from county funds are processed and made through
the county clerk's office. The county clerk, or one's designated deputy, serves as the purchasing agent for the county.
By centralizing the county purchases within the county
clerk's office, the county officers can rely on the purchasing agent to find the best buys available. This system is a means
to ensure the public that tax dollars are being spent appropriately.
Various records within the different county offices are
classified as "open records," as such, they can be reviewed
and mechanically copied by the public. The county clerk has
on hand the schedules showing the fees charged by each
county official for document searches and mechanical copies.
