County Clerk & Recorder

As the keeper of county records, the clerk’s office is responsible for the care and custody of all records, books, and papers filed or deposited in the respective offices of the county. Records in the clerk’s office include liquor licenses, assumed name business registrations, lawsuits, delinquent tax records, statements of economic interest, and county contracts just to name a few.

As clerk of the county board, the county clerk attends all county board meetings and is responsible for keeping an accurate record of all the proceedings of the board. The clerk also preserves all bills of account acted upon by the board. All claims for county expenses are processed in the county clerk’s office.

The county clerk is the only official in the county authorized to issue, record and maintain birth and death certificates, military DD-214, and issue marriage licenses.

The county clerk calculates and extends the tax rates on all real estate in the county. The clerk files the annual budget levies of all taxing bodies, reports boundary changes, computes the tax rates for each unit, extends the taxes by applying the tax rates to the equalized assessed valuation, and certifies the information to the county treasurer.

The county clerk administers all Federal, State, and County elections. The clerk is responsible for preparing the ballots, securing polling places, and training election judges. The clerk’s office processes and maintains all voter registration records.

The clerk’s office provides numerous services to the public including genealogical searches, instructions on applying for a social security card, and maintaining the county registry of Notary Public Commissions. The county clerk is also the keeper of the seal of the county.