County Clerk

Clerk's Office

Responsibilities

The Russell County Clerk and Election Official has many duties. The County Clerk's duties are listed nearly 1,000 times in Kansas Statutes. Although it would be impossible to list every job that every county clerk/election official does here is a bird's eye view of them: 

Clerical

  • Clerk to the Board of County Commissioners
  • Records and maintains official minutes of meetings
  • Maintains all contracts with the County
  • Maintains the County Seal(s)
  • Attests the signatures of the County Commissioners on documents
  • Assists with vacation of County roads (K.S.A. 68-102a)

Budgeting

  • Responsible for office budget(s)
  • Certifies that cash and budget are available to cover claims
  • Reviews and approves all claims for payment and issues 1099s
  • Keeps all financial reports of the County and other entities
  • Assists smaller taxing entities with budget preparation annually

2022 County Budget Worksheet

Taxation

  • Calculates July and November abstracts of valuation and taxation
  • Compiles and reports annual bonded indebtedness of the County
  • Prepares the tax roll in preparation of printing tax statements
  • Sets and certifies levies annually
  • Maintains special assessments to the tax roll
  • Processes abatements/additions and escapes to the tax roll
  • Assessment of sewer costs and placement on tax roll (K.S.A. 12-618)
  • Motor Vehicle Abstract Certification annually

Voter Registration/Election (Chapter 25 of Kansas Statutes)

101 of 105 County Clerks are also the County Election Officer (Johnson, Sedgwick, Shawnee and Wyandotte have appointed County Election Officer in addition to a County Clerk)

Election and Voting Information Page

  • Maintains accurate Voter Registration Rolls
  • Collects filing fees for local candidates
  • Verifies signatures on petitions for candidates, question initiatives and recalls
  • Recruits, appoints and trains board workers for all elections
  • Is responsible for all aspects of election: ballots, polling sites and equipment in accordance with federal, state and local laws and regulations
  • Maintains records of elections in official abstract

Other Duties

  • Sells moving permits, cereal malt beverage licenses and firework permits
  • Maintains fixed asset inventory for the County
  • Assists taxpayers annually with Homestead and Food Sales Tax refunds
  • Freedom of Information Officer for the County (in most counties)
  • Maintains all legal publications for County
  • Maintains all claims against the County
  • Maintains a map of all taxing units in the County and submits it annually to PVD, Appraiser and State Assessed Utilities
  • Provides "check and balance" to motor vehicle, general ledger and real and personal property from other offices by maintaining a separate set of records
  • Administers County policies as set by the County Commission alongside the Administrative/HR Office.
  • Handles bids/quotations
  • Notary Public for State of Kansas to conduct notarization
  • Administers Oaths of Office and Swears-in Sheriff's Deputies
  • Charter Resolutions filed with Secretary of State (K.S.A. 19-101b,c)
  • Inter-local Agreements filed with ROD, SOS after approved from KS AG (K.S.A. 12-2905-2905)
  • Vacation of Certain Plats, Streets, Easements (K.S.A. 58-2613)