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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda - 10-06-1998 - 8eOrange County Board of Commissioners Action Agenda Item Abstract Meeting Date: October 6, 1998 Action Agenda Item No. —L-C, Subject: Proposed New Register of Deeds Office Position Department: Register of Deeds and Personnel Public Hearing: Yes No X Budget Amendment Needed: Yes No X Attachment(s): 1- Background to Current Proposal 2- Register of Deeds Position Proposal (Original) 3- Register of Deeds Revenue Explanation Information Contact: Elaine Holmes, Personnel Director Extension 2550 Betty June Hayes, Register of Deeds, Extension 2676 Telephone Number: Hillsborough 732 -8181 Chapel Hill 968 -4501 Durham 688 -7331 Mebane 227 -2031 Purpose: To consider establishing a new permanent part time 30 hour Deputy Register of Deeds I position. Background: Attachment 1 explains the background to the Register of Deeds current proposal that the Board establish a new Deputy Register of Deeds I position. In summary, the Register of Deeds has assessed the work needs of the department. She has determined that workload increases can be addressed by realigning current staff and adding one 30 hour position. The estimated annual cost for the proposed new position is $22,361. The amount needed for the current fiscal year is $16,771. If the Board chooses to establish the proposed Deputy Register of Deeds I position, the position could be funded in 1998 -99 from revenues projected to be received over budget by the Register of Deeds Office. Attachment 3 shows that historically the Register of Deeds has collected revenue in excess of budget. To fund the position the Board could increase 1998 -99 budgeted revenue to cover the position cost. Recommendation: The Manager recommends the Board approve establishing a new permanent, part-time (30 hour) Deputy Register of Deeds I position effective October 6, 1998 and increase the budgeted revenue for the Register of Deeds Office to cover the cost. 4 ATTACHMENT 1 Background to Register of Deeds Position Proposal In February 1998 an Assistant Register of Deeds position at Salary Grade 67 ($28,603 - $45,480) in the Register of Deeds Office became vacant. At that time the Register of Deeds assessed the needs of the office as well as the functions of the Assistant Register of Deeds position. Original Proposal As a result of the assessment, the Register of Deeds identified the need to realign staffing within the office. She identified the priority need for an additional Deputy Register of Deeds I to cover increased workloads. To address this need the Register of Deeds decided to propose a realignment of staff resources as part of the 1998 -99 recommended budget. The Register of Deeds specific proposal included the following three elements: Element 1 - Downgrade the existing Assistant Register of Deeds position at salary grade 67 to Deputy Register of Deeds 1 at salary grade 61 The Register of Deeds decided to restructure the duties and responsibilities of the vacant Assistant Register of Deeds from the administrative and oversight duties previously recognized to line worker duties. The position would serve as a generalist in several functional areas, including creating /scanning documents, reconciling revenue and issuing certified copies of birth and death certificates in the Optical Imaging, Finance and Vital Records sections of the Register of Deeds Office. Personnel reviewed the revised duties and identified the correct job classification as Deputy Register of Deeds I at salary grade 61. Element 2 - Increase the hours of an existing permanent part-time Administrative Assistant 11 from 30 hours to 40 hours per week Element 3 - Establish a new permanent part-time (30 hr) Deputy Register of Deeds position This new position would be used to address workload increases. Specific duties would include imaging records and checking these for accuracy. The Personnel Department reviewed the planned duties and responsibilities of the proposed new position and classified it as Deputy Register of Deeds I. Funding for Original Proposal The Register of Deed proposed to fund the above three elements by realigning existing funding from the vacant Assistant Register of Deed position. The reclassification of the Assistant Register of Deeds position to Deputy Register of Deeds I freed sufficient funds to cover the funding required for the Administrative Assistant 11 increase in hours (Element 2 I� above) and the new 30 hours Deputy Register of Deeds I position (Element 3 above). The 1998 -99 Manager's Recommended Budget proposed the above staffing realignment. The Attachment 2 chart shows in the left hand shaded area under current the "before" of the staffing proposal and the right hand area shows under proposed the "after." In terms of funding required the Register of Deeds proposal was within $486 of the required funding. June Board of Commissioners Action In the 1998 -99 budget deliberations, the Board of County Commissioners approved Elements 1 and 2 of the Register of Deeds proposal but did not approve Element 3 — the proposed new 30 hour Deputy Register of Deeds I position. The funds for this proposed position were deleted from the Manager's Recommended Budget for the Register of Deeds Office and used on June 22 in the calculations to balance the general fund budget at the 90.2 cents tax rate. Thus, the original proposed funding for the new position is no longer available. Register of Deeds Position Proposal A. Register of Deeds Proposal Description Downgrade the existing Assistant Register of Deeds position to a Deputy Register of Deeds I and use the cost savings to fund: ❑ A 10 hour increase in hours for the existing Administrative Assistant II position and ❑ A new 30 hour per week Deputy Register of Deeds I position. B. Proposal Specifics Current Proposed Position FTE Salary Benefits Total - Position FTE Salary Benefits Total 1. Existing Assistant 1.0 45,237 9,729 54,966 1. Downgrade existing 1.0 20,824 6,596 27,420 Register of Deeds Assistant Register of Deeds position — Salary to Deputy Register of Grade 67 Deeds I - Salary Grade 61 2. Existing 30 hour .75 16,809 6,241 23,050 2. Add 10 hours to existing 30 1.0 22,412 6,964 29,376 Administrative Asst hour Administrative II position Assistant II position* 3. Establish new 30 hour .75 15,618 6,088 21,706 Deputy Register of Deeds I position* * Grand Total 1.75 62,046 15,970 78,016 Grand Total 2.75 58,854 19,648 78,502 Difference in Cost Between Current and Proposed: $486 * Approved by BOCC at June 16, 1998 Budget Work Session ** Not approved by BOCC f. \e \rodpos.doc June 18, 1998 H H C] z H I Attachment 3 5 Revenue Explanation • Examples of revenues collected by the Register of Deeds Office include fees for marriage licenses, birth and death certificates, and land transfers and transactions. • These fees are set by North Carolina General Statute and collected in the Register of Deeds Office. • State Statute also mandates that a portion of the collected fees be returned to the State for various purposes. The table below compares total collections with portions retained by the County and amounts forwarded to the State: • As indicated in the table above, historically, the Register of Deeds collections have increased each year. • In addition, the table below shows that for the past four years, revenue collections have exceeded expenditures by at least $73,000. (1) Total Revenue Collected (2) State Share of Collections (3) County Share of Collections 1994 -95 Actual $1,054,854 $378,628 $676,226 1995 -96 Actual $1,206,551 $437,313 $769,238 1996 -97 Actual $1,276,051 $479,341 $796,710 1997 -98 Actual 1 $1,431,275 $538,464 $892,811 • As indicated in the table above, historically, the Register of Deeds collections have increased each year. • In addition, the table below shows that for the past four years, revenue collections have exceeded expenditures by at least $73,000. Workload • The additional position will address increased workloads for the department. The table below provides measures for the department: Measures County Share of Revenue Collections Expenditures 1994 -95 Actual $676,226 $603,129 1995 -96 Actual $769,238 $625,913 1996 -97 Actual $796,710 $641,875 1997 -98 Actual $892,811 $673,577 Workload • The additional position will address increased workloads for the department. The table below provides measures for the department: Measures 1995 -96 Actual 1996 -97 Actual 1997 -98 Actual Deeds, Deeds of Trust, D/T 19,447 22,597 26,022 Cancellations, other documents, UCCs recorded, scanned and indexed Land transfers, splits and merges 5,078 4,812 5,049 created Marriage Licenses issued 739 823 807 Births indexed 2,247 2,484 3,461 Deaths indexed 1,202 1,227 1,426 Certified copies of Vital records 13,663 15,456 15,736 issued Jury names selected, Jury lists 11,769 12,750 13,175 prepared and service history keyed Workloads have increased over the past few years. This increase has a direct relation to economic conditions, in particular low interest rates. Favorable rates prompt many people to seek home ownership or refinance their existing mortgages. In addition, the Register of Deeds is in the process of converting its current optical imaging system to a newer one. In order for this conversion to happen in a timely manner, records must be imaged and checked for accuracy. This procedure is very time consuming and this position will provide assistance in this area.