Feud Underway at County Building As Clerk Demands More Staff

Revenue May Take Hit Resulting From Reduced Services

May 1, 2011
By: MyBayCity Staff

County Clerk Cindy Luczak reportedly has eliminated services and reduced office hours in an apparent effort to force officials to increase her staff.

The county commission meets Tuesday at 4:30 p.m. but the dispute between the clerk and Chairman Donald Tilley of the Board of Commissioners and County Executive Thomas L. Hickner is not on the agenda.

The fight may be revealed publicly, however, as county officials have taken the unprecedented step of chastising the clerk in a letter sent to the news media and other officials.

In the letter to the clerk, officials wrote:

"In January, 2011, the County Clerk's office issued a statement that you would discontinue certain non-mandated services due to a reduction in force in your office. You stated that the discontinuance of those services would impact County revenue as a result.

"As you are aware, the County has been taking other measures to cut costs as a result of significantly reduced tax revenues and state revenue sharing. Every department has taken strides to maintain the service we provide to the public with less resources, except for the County Clerk's office which not only eliminated valued services but also reduced office hours.

"As you are also aware, a study was conducted by consultants over a year ago which detailed a number of recommendations to make your office more effective and efficient. The Board of Commissioners pledged its support of those efforts. To our knowledge, none of those recommendations have been implemented."

Tilley and Hickner noted budget problems including a potential shortfall of $1.2 million, commenting:

"Adding staff where it clearly is not needed is not an option."

The letter alleges the clerk has refused to pay bills through the county's financial system, the officials said, asserting that the work is not mandated. "In order to maintain our credit and avoid possible audit comments, we have taken over the payment of those bills. Each day, a person from another department spends approximately 10 minutes picking up the documents to be input and returning them to your department. The actual input of these documents typically takes this person about a minute."

The officials also allege in the letter that the clerk has turned away the public because of the reduced office hours or from services previously performed, such as notary services which typically take only a minute or so. Members of the public seeking notary services have been accommodated in the county executive's office, according to reports.

Another county has implemented systems to modernize delivery of vital records, saving more than half a million dollars annually, the letter asserts. The letter concludes: "We are extending again the invitation to consider technological steps to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of the office of the clerk." ###