Countywide : Merging Offices to Save Money Suggested

Clerk-Recorder Gary L. Granville has an idea to save money and shrink bureaucracy in the wake of Orange County’s bankruptcy filing: Combine his office with the county assessor’s office, which would eliminate Granville’s job but would save as much as $700,000 a year, according to his projections.

Granville, 66, unveiled his plan a few months ago, but so far it has not generated much interest, which doesn’t surprise him, given the far weightier financial issues the Board of Supervisors has been facing.

But Granville said this week he hopes his proposal will eventually be considered. He has discussed the idea with the Orange County Grand Jury, he said, and hopes the panel will mention it in a report on the county bankruptcy to be released in the next few weeks.

“It’s not such a pressing issue now . . . but I think it should get some attention,” Granville said.

The clerk-recorder’s and assessor’s offices deal with many of the same county records and real estate documents, so it makes sense to merge them, Granville said. Grant deeds, for example, are recorded in Granville’s office before going to the assessor’s office, which is in charge of setting property values.

Granville is not certain how many jobs would be eliminated if a merger took place.

This is Granville’s second proposed merger in two years. At his suggestion, the Board of Supervisors last year combined the clerk and recorder’s offices, saving the county more than $1 million. Granville, who at the time was county clerk, ran for the combined clerk-recorder job and won.