Two new candidates are running for the county recorder’s office, both focused on informing citizens and keeping up with the digital age.
Republican Teresa Petro, Johnson County deputy recorder, and Democrat Kyle Swain, Johnson County field manager for the Liz Watson U.S. Congressional campaign, are both vying for the position for the first time. Neither candidate has held a prior elected office.
Current Johnson County Recorder Jill Jackson is retiring from the position. The county recorder is responsible for maintaining the county public records, mostly dealing with property and mortgages.
The recorder’s office takes payments for items such as escrow and mortgages. Swain said a goal of his would be to provide secure and convenient online payment for citizens because there is currently no online payment system.
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“We’ve got busy families. People are strapped for time. We have people who are disabled that aren’t able to make it down to the courthouse that easily,” Swain said.
Swain also said online payments are instantaneous, so if there a problem, it can be solved faster.
Petro also wants to make the recorder’s office more digital. Continuing on from Jackson’s efforts, if elected, Petro would work on indexing and converting all records to a digital format, she said.
“The current elected official has continued to bring the department forward electronically, digitally, making it accessible to everyone not only when the office is open, but remotely,” Petro said.
Many documents need to be indexed so that citizens can more easily search for items when they are digital. This is a process that could take a few years, Petro said.
“Technology is a big thing now, so we’re trying to keep up with what people need,” she said.
Petro and Swain both also expressed the goal of expanding the Honor Rewards program for veterans. Local businesses participating in the program provide discounts or rewards for local military veterans. Currently 36 out of 3,065 businesses in Johnson County offer rewards.
“If we make Johnson County an attractive place for veterans, we have a chance to give back to them,” Swain said.
Another goal for both candidates is citizen involvement. Swain would like to create a community resource center if he is elected. Citizens could have more access to information about the regulations in their own communities, he said.
“They can see if they are following their current community guidelines or they can look up a different community and see if it’s the right fit for them,” Swain said.
If elected, Petro wants to make community members aware of the benefits of the recorder’s office, and make record searching more user-friendly, which would be done with re-indexing records.
She wants the public to know they are always welcome in the recorder’s office, she said.
“A lot of people walk into these offices and they have no idea where to go, what they’re looking for and they don’t know what to ask,” Petro said.
[sc:pullout-title pullout-title=”About the job” ][sc:pullout-text-begin]
Johnson County Recorder
Geographic area covered: All of Johnson County
Duties: Maintain county records, including land deeds and mortgages.
Term: Four years
Salary: Last year, the county recorder earned a salary of $55,942.
[sc:pullout-text-end][sc:pullout-title pullout-title=”Teresa Petro” ][sc:pullout-text-begin]
Party: Republican
Residence: Franklin
Family: Unmarried. Three children.
Education: Graduated from Southwestern High School. Attended Ivy Tech Community College in Columbus.
Work: Johnson County Recorder’s Office deputy recorder
Past political experience: None
[sc:pullout-text-end][sc:pullout-title pullout-title=”Kyle Swain” ][sc:pullout-text-begin]
Party: Democrat
Residence: Greenwood
Family: Engaged to be wed.
Education: Graduated from Center Grove High School in 2011. Attended Indiana University Bloomington.
Work: Liz Watson U.S. Congressional campaign District 9 Johnson County field manager.
Past political experience: None
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