County Clerk Shelley Coston Bell County Clerk The many roles the clerk plays in county government

History of the County Clerk Article 5, Section 20 of the Texas Constitution There shall be elected for each county, by the qualified voters, a County Clerk, who shall hold this office for four years, who shall be clerk of the County and Commissioners Courts and recorder of the county, whose duties, perquisites and fees of office shall be prescribed by the Legislature, and a vacancy in whose office shall be filled by the Commissioners Court, until the next general election; provided, that in counties having a population of less than 8,000 persons there may be an election of a single Clerk, who shall perform the duties of District and County Clerks. (Amended Nov. 2, 1954.) Section 51.501 of the Government Code Applicable to Counties with a population of less than 8000 - shall elect a single Clerk to perform duties of District Clerk and County Clerk

Required Continuing Education Section 51.605 of the Government Code 20 hours during each calendar year TAC UT CLE SOS Region Meetings Probate College Vital Statistics Software Vendor

What does that mean to you? KNOWLEDGE IS POWER We need funding in our travel budgets.

Clerk of Commissioners Court 1. Attend Commissioners Court meetings and take the official minutes Hold official seal of the court 2. Administrator and Custodian of all Commissioner Court documents Attachments, contracts, handouts 3. Receives all minutes, orders, oaths and official bonds from the Commissioners Court.

Clerk of Courts Constitutional County Court County Court at Law Juvenile Civil Mental Guardianship Probate – Statutory County Court Appeals Works with attorneys, jurors, defendants, SO, JP’s, Constables, Probation, FBI, DPS, TABC, COUNTY JUDGES and COMMISSIONERS

Recorder of the County File mark all instruments accepted for filing File budgets and make available for public inspection Record appointments of deputy sheriffs, deputy district clerks, deputy treasurers, and deputy tax-assessor/collectors Provide attested copies Maintain OPR according to laws, codes, statutes Record real property records including but not limited to: deeds, mortgages, conveyances, deeds of trust, bonds for title Maintain records on liens Record all plats E-recording

Records Retention Specialist Records Retention schedule adopted by the State Library Although many clerks are going to paperless offices many records must be maintained permanently Remember the threat of disaster!

Local Government Code Sec. 118.025 COUNTY CLERK'S RECORDS ARCHIVE Preservation Local Government Code Sec. 118.025 COUNTY CLERK'S RECORDS ARCHIVE

Commissioner’s Court… How can you help your County Clerk? Records Management Space Funding

There is no such thing as a permanent “Dump Truck”

Texas Secretary of State Elections Division Election Officials Local Election Officials Custodian of Election Records Early Voting Clerk Procuring, Ordering and Delivering Supplies Preparing Ballots Maintaining Office Hours before and after election Receiving Candidate Applications Preparing and Delivering certain reports to SOS Texas Secretary of State Elections Division

Texas Secretary of State Elections Division Types of Elections General Elections Presidential Election, General Election for State and County officers, Regular Officer Elections for Cities, School Districts, Water Districts, Hospital Districts, Library Districts. Special Elections Special Election to fill a Vacancy, Constitutional Amendment Election, Local Option Liquor Elections, Tax Ratification Elections, Bond Elections, Bingo Elections, Stock Law Elections, Hail Suppression Elections, etc., etc., etc.….. Texas Secretary of State Elections Division

Post-Election Procedures Canvass Ministerial duty Quorum = 2 members of canvassing authority Reports Precinct by Precinct Report Partial Manual Count Report Texas Secretary of State Elections Division

Post-Election Procedures Qualifying for Office Certificate of Election (67.016) Statement of Elected Officer (Art XVI, Sec. 1, Tex. Const.) Oath of Office, Chapter 602, Texas Government Code Filed locally, unless district or state office. Certificate of Election Statement of Elected Officer Oath of Office Texas Secretary of State Elections Division

Election Administrator Primary, General, Special, Districts, Cities, Schools Election Board, Voting, Mail Ballots, Early Voting Ballot Board, Postings, Programming, Election Kits, Machines, Scanners, Voters Registration List, Secretary of State forms, precinct chairman, Department of Justice, poll workers, poll worker training, tabulation, campaign reports, supplies, results, media, polling locations, and on and on and on!

Financial Responsibilities Registry of the Court Collect fees specified by statute Make reports to auditor/treasurer with disbursements Receive funds ordered by the court for disbursement Maintain various Trust accounts Maintain cash bonds for criminal cases Criminal collections

Vital Records Local Registrar Marriage License Declaration of Informal Marriage Birth Certificates Death Certificates

Miscellaneous Assumed Name Certificate Wills for safekeeping Brands Beer and Wine Permits Military Records Administrative duties Reports to the DPS, OCA, SOS, TXPW, COMPTROLLER

Records that carry you through life:  Birth Records   Juvenile Court Records Election Records Military Records –DD214 Marriage Records Deed/Property Records Livestock Brands Assumed Name Certificates   Civil Court records – i.e. credit card debt Misdemeanor Court records –i.e. Bad Checks; DWI Death Records Probate Records –Wills

Shelley Coston Bell County Clerk PO Box 480 Belton, Texas 76513 Shelley.Coston@bellcounty.texas.gov 254-933-5169