Countywide : County Clerk’s Office Improved, Audit Finds

A year after a scathing review of the county clerk’s office, an audit has found measurable improvement in morale and service to the public.

A report released Thursday by the county administrative office said the clerk’s office is “functioning more efficiently and effectively than a year ago, with a generaly positive staff attitude and good service to the public.”

A 350-page CAO study last year reported that there were “low morale and observed rude behavior” in the office and that conditions were “linked to a generaly negative tone which is promoted by management.”

At the time of the original study, the clerk’s and recorder’s offices were combined, with Lee Branch holding both posts. Last August, the Board of Supervisors split the two offices, allowed Branch to stay on as recorder and appointed Gary L. Granville as clerk.

Granville, a former aide to Supervisor Ralph B. Clark, and his staff have “aggressively acted to correct the numerous deficiencies” found in the March, 1985, audit, the new CAO report said.

The report noted improvements in training, security and policies in the clerk’s office, which files and maintains documents for the Superior Court. The recorder handles documents such as deeds, mortgages and property liens for real estate in the county.