At forum, GOP candidates for recorder of deeds cite improvements that could be made

Two Republicans running to unseat Cape Girardeau County's longtime recorder of deeds are seeking better customer service.

In a forum hosted by the Southeast Missouri Pachyderm Club at Dexter Bar-B-Que, candidates Shelly Lane and Scott Clark made the case for their respective candidacies. The winner of the Aug. 3 primary will go up against Democratic incumbent Janet Robert, who has been unopposed since 1994. She has been in office since 1977.

The recorder of deeds issues and records marriage licenses. The office also keeps track of real estate transactions and military discharges.

Clark, a J.C. Penney department store supervisor, and Lane, a real estate agent for Realty Executives of Cape County, both cited improvements that could be made to the office, including customer service and technology upgrades.

Lane, who has been working in real estate for three years, said she uses the office on a daily basis. For others it is hard to navigate the services.

"You go in here, and you're expected to know what to do," she said.

Lane, a resident of Jackson, said she grew up in Malden, Mo., and attended Arkansas State University.

Clark, who has been working for J.C. Penney since 2005, said he brings management and budgeting skills. He holds a master's of public administration from Southeast Missouri State University, where he studied record retention and management.

"I find it exciting," he said. "I realize there are not many people out there who find record management exciting."

He said he advocates technology updates, including more information on the county's website and online records.

"We have practically no information on the website as it stands," Clark said.

The office is funded by user fees, but he said he could save money on storage by putting more records on microfilm. Overall, he said, he wants to make the documents more accessible to the public.

Lane said she wants to make the office's services easier to use and show the public "a smiling face."

"The records are not easy to access, and I just want to go in there and make a change," she said.

abusch@semissourian.com

388-3627

Pertinent address:

236 S. Broadview St., Cape Girardeau, MO