County Clerks: Duties and responsibilities

The County Clerk is the principal record keeper for the county and preserves all legal instruments filed by private citizens and public officials within the County Clerk’s office. The County Clerk maintains an accurate and current record of legal instruments including deeds; mortgages; plat maps; oil, gas, and mineral leases; liens; and military discharge papers, plus numerous miscellaneous documents.

The County Clerk also serves as the secretary to several boards, including the Board of County Commissioners, the County Excise-Equalization Board, and the Board of Tax Roll Corrections. The County Clerk prepares and posts the agenda for these meetings, records all of the proceedings, and files all pertinent documents.

The County Clerk assists the county in its financial affairs in a variety of duties. The County Clerk reviews all claims for payment for goods and services and prepares the proper warrants, including the county payroll. The County Clerk is also responsible for recording all appropriations and expenditures for each county office and department. When preparing the annual budget, the County Clerk processes the estimate of needs for the county and other governmental entities. The Office of the State Auditor and Inspector prescribes all the forms used by the County Clerk.

In most counties, the County Clerk, or a designated deputy, serves as the Purchasing Agent for the County. The Purchasing Agent handles the paperwork for purchases, rentals, lease-purchase agreements and advertises for sealed bids for the Board of County Commissioners to make sure that public tax dollars are being spent appropriately. In performing these various duties and functions, the County Clerk ensures that all the transactions of the county comply with state law and serve the public interest.