By JAN LARSON McLAUGHLIN
BG Independent News
The Wood County Recorder’s Office is the keeper of all land records in the county – sales, mortgages, leases and more.
Running for the recorder’s seat this year are incumbent Democrat Julie Baumgardner and Republican James Matuszak.
Matuszak did not respond to emails requesting an interview. He also declined to participate in the League of Women Voters’ candidate forum. Baumgardner did respond and here are her views.
Baumgardner has served as county recorder for 12 years. Prior to that, she worked as deputy recorder for six years and a computer programmer for 11 years.
As recorder, Baumgardner has focused on automating processes with electronic recording of documents in the office, which handles approximately 35,000 documents a year. By doing that, she was able to cut the office budget by more than $120,000, she said.
The office was able to cut down document turnaround time to two or three days, compared to two weeks prior to that.
“But I’d love to get it down to turning things back the same day,” she said.
Baumgardner started a fraud alert program in the office after the markets crashed in 2008-2009. She is currently partnering with the county probate court, auditor and clerk of courts to offer a “Good Deeds” program, which helps county residents learn how to keep their estates out of probate.
A current challenge has been providing records to people during the coronavirus pandemic.
“It’s important to have our records accessible to the public,” Baumgardner said. “We’re really functioning pretty well here.”
Adding another challenge is the passage of some new laws protecting personal identities.
“It makes it very hard to search a title,” she said. “Moving forward that is going to be a challenge more and more.”
Keeping records secure as more are online is also an issue.
“The documents we have are vital to commerce,” she said.
If re-elected Baumgardner wants to continue making the office more accessible to the public.
“I want to finish scanning all the documents so they are more accessible to the people who can’t get into the office,” she said.
Also important, she said, is continuing good customer service.
“My employees do a good job,” she said of the seven staff in her office.
As the only elected Democrat in Wood County government, Baumgardner said she believes there is a value to having elected officials from both parties.
“I think at all levels it’s important,” she said. “I just think it’s important to have a mix.”
