By JAN McLAUGHLIN
BG Independent News
The primary race for Wood County Recorder pits incumbent Jim Matuszak – who says he has made the office much more efficient – against Connor Rose – who says the changes made by Matuszak have made property searches much more difficult.
If elected, Rose promises to be present in the recorder’s office – unlike Matuszak, who says he does not need to be there to make the office run smoothly.
Both men are Republicans. Matuszak, a CPA from Perrysburg, is in his first term as county recorder. Rose, of Bowling Green, is a realtor and auctioneer.
The winner of the primary on March 19 will face Democratic challenger Jeremy Schroeder in the November election.
When Matuszak first became county recorder in 2021, the office was using a software system custom-written for Wood County in the early 1990s, he said. The system was so “old and antiquated” that it frequently crashed and was difficult to repair.
“I got there, and I couldn’t get it working,” Matuszak said.
A consultant was brought in, and after studying the system, determined that a new system should be installed.
“Everybody approved of it,” Matuszak said of the county officials required to make decisions involving tech changes.
But according to Rose, the previous system worked much better for those who frequently use the recorder’s office.
“I deal with the documents of the recorder’s office every day,” Rose said. “The new system is not right.”
Previously, people doing property searches did so by using legal geographic descriptions. With the new system, the searches must be done using the names of grantors or grantees – the people transferring ownership of property and the people receiving the property.
The new system is very difficult for title searches by realtors or law firms, Rose said.
“I have the passion to make the changes that need to happen,” Rose said, suggesting that the current system needs a geographical index backup.
But Matuszak said those resistant to the new software are just stuck in their ways.
“They didn’t want change,” he said, acknowledging a lot of “blowback” from people. But he is confident that installing new software was a good decision. “In hindsight, we have no regrets.”
While some counties still use geographic-based indexes, most are by grantor or grantee name, Matuszak said.
“I’m amazed that someone is angry at me because we’ve been doing it the same way for 49 years,” Matuszak said. “This is 2024.”
Matuszak challenged the claim that the new system is not user-friendly. The turnaround time for documents could be seven to 14 days with the old system, he said. With the new system, all document requests are filled within 24 hours, he said.
Matuszak said his first responsibility is to the public searching for records – not to attorneys or title companies gathering information needed for bank loans.
Rose said Matuszak also has a responsibility to the public to be present in the recorder’s office. The job pays $75,869 a year, yet Matuszak is rarely in the office.
“He’s taking a salary and not showing up,” Rose said. “It’s a job you can’t be absent from.”
But Matuszak said he does not need to be present in the office. He has hired someone to manage the office, while Matuszak works in his CPA office in Perrysburg. Plus the new technology allows him to stay in touch with the office remotely.
“I was elected to be the leader of the office. I set the vision,” he said. “It’s handled very efficiently and effectively remotely.”
Under Matuszak, all but one of the long-tenured employees in the recorder’s office have left, according to Rose.
“I feel it’s so important for people to know what’s going on in this office,” Rose said.
“It’s important that the people elect a real estate professional to protect and maintain the integrity of their real estate records,” he said. “I have plenty of experience, raised in a real estate family.”
If elected, Rose said he has the ability to flex his hours as a realtor, so he would be present in the recorder’s office during the day.
“This election is very crucial for the future of how records are maintained and business is conducted in the county,” Rose said.
