Tracey Wright and Teresa Judson are running for County Recorder with both saying they bring experience to the position and the need for the office to be customer based.
Wright said she is a lifelong resident of Washington County, has worked in the Recorder’s Office for 44 years and has been the Recorder for 32 of those years. She said she serves on the board for EVE Inc. and the Washington and Morgan Counties Community Action Programs, and is a member of the Ohio Recorders’ Association where she currently serves on the Legislative Committee. She said she is a member of the American Legion Auxiliary Post #64 of Marietta, a member of the Order of Eastern Stars #261 in New Matamoras and a member of the Ohio Farm Bureau.
Wright said she is running because she loves the job. She said the County Recorder is responsible for the vital land records within the county, as well as many other documents, such as veterans discharge records, power of attorneys, mechanics liens, and many more.
“The experience I have has given me the much-needed knowledge for the job,” Wright said. “The Washington County Recorder’s Office, under my administration, has made great progress in technology while preserving and protecting the historical records.”
She said the time she has spent in the Recorder’s Office has given her a great deal of “old school” knowledge which she said is extremely beneficial for researching older records.
“Knowledge and experience within the office is something that is learned over years of being in the office and working directly with it,” Wright said.
She said the Recorder’s Office is digitized and has documented images online beginning in 1996. There is a project in the making to have all records from 1979 online. She said she has implemented two websites for the public, with one being a cloud-based site and the other an older site that will be phased out over time.
Wright said she has three staff members that include a Chief Deputy with almost 27 years of experience, and the two others having over a decade of experience. She said another employee just retired after 33 years of experience.
“I have been very fortunate to have wonderful employees that care deeply for their job and the people they serve,” Wright said. “We all take great pride in serving Washington County with respect, professionalism and being courteous.”
She said she has always stressed that the office is a public office and the need to treat the public with the utmost respect and be courteous.
“People using or needing the office need to feel comfortable while there,” Wright said. “My staff and I provide excellent customer service, which is a real asset.”
She said the County Recorder position should be non-partisan and that the Ohio Revised Code determines how the job is done. She said politics should never decide how to treat someone.
“What does matter to me is that the job gets done efficiently, correctly, professionally, and with kindness,” Wright said.
Judson said her family has been here since the beginning of Washington County and that preserving old records, and also making sure new ones are recorded accurately and efficiently, is extremely important to her. She said she has worked almost 22 years in county government with eight of them in the Franklin County Recorder’s office.
“I realized that I had been preparing for this my entire career,” Judson said. “I enjoy helping people as a public servant and wanted to take that to the next level.”
She said she brings knowledge from the Recorder’s Office as well as the Probate Court, which often works in conjunction with the Recorder’s Office. She said she brings excellent customer service skills, which are required each and every day.
“I have experience in employee management, fiscal responsibilities and general office work,” Judson said. “With my background, I can start the job on day one.”
She said her goals for the Recorder’s Office is to make it customer-service oriented because the office provides an important service to the people of Washington County.
“My plan is to talk to the people that really utilize the office, such as attorneys, title companies and people from the oil and gas industry, to see what they like and what they don’t like about the office,” Judson said. “I want to listen to their opinions and make sure that the office is user-friendly to their needs.”
She said she would also talk to other officeholders to make sure they are working with the Recorder’s Office to provide the best possible experience for.
She said she has been working very hard this year to let people know why they should vote for her and will continue to work hard both in the office and out of the office if elected.
“I am excited for the opportunity to serve the people and plan to take a more active role in the community as an officeholder,” Judson said. “I look forward to being part of the history of Marietta and Washington County.”
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