Town clerk reports steady transactional volume and roughly $5 million in year-to-date receipts

Town Clerk Ron presented the town-clerk office's mission and operational highlights to the committee, noting record-digitization work, audit results and service volumes.

Ron said the office used a $50,000 financial resolution and matching clerk funds plus a $10,000 grant to backscan land records back to 1991. He reported transaction volumes year-to-date of about 12,000 birth certificates, 1,000 death certificates, 2,000 marriage licenses and about 11,000 recordings — roughly 30,000 transactions annually — and said the office has taken in about $5,000,000 year to date, with approximately half returned to the state after fees.

He said operating costs are roughly $700,000 (with vacancies), leaving an approximate net return to the city of $2,000,000 depending on the year and real-estate activity. Ron also said the office continues to pursue election-infrastructure grant opportunities and will travel to Washington, D.C., to meet the congressional delegation as part of that effort.

Council members praised the office's work and asked about grant prospects and unusual services such as aircraft registration at Brainerd Airport; Ron said Brainerd-related aircraft registrations fluctuate and constitute a small but steady revenue source.

Why it matters: The town-clerk office generates material revenue and provides recordkeeping services important to residents and municipal finances. Backscanning and digitization improve public access to records.

What's next: The clerk said he will pursue federal grant opportunities for election infrastructure and return to brief the council on outcomes of those meetings.