WASHINGTON CO. CLERK’S OFFICE COLLECTS $1 MILLION IN 2021

  

2021 marked a first for the Washington County Clerk’s office.

During her monthly and annual reports at today’s (Tuesday) Washington County Commissioners meeting, County Clerk Beth Rothermel announced that the office collected over $1 million in fees for the year.  Rothermel said this is the first time ever that the office has taken in $1 million, and it came down to the final work day of the year to hit that mark.

Breaking down the collected fees that made up 2021’s total of $1,002,134, the office took in $572,211 in general fees, $80,782 in probate fees, $309,396 in criminal fees and $39,744 in civil fees.  According to the financial statistics in Rothermel’s report, the county will keep 87 percent of the yearly total and pay the other 13 percent to the state.

Rothermel said while her office is not designed to be a “money-making office” and cannot have quotas, she attributed the success to the number of customers needing documents and the amount of cases filed.  She also thanked her staff for their work throughout the year.

Annual statistics for 2021 include 336 recorded births for the year, the largest amount since 351 births in 2016.  The highest number of births on record since 1995, when Rothermel began working as county clerk, was 507 in 2008.

A total of 373 deaths were recorded in 2021, which Rothermel said is the most she has seen in a year during her time as county clerk.  The previous high was 362 in 2014.

Other 2021 statistics include 217 marriage licenses sold, 9,341 official public records filed, and 23,893 registered voters as of the end of the year.

Also at today’s meeting, commissioners:

• Approved a partial subdivision cancellation of the Chappell Hill West subdivision in Precinct 2, cancelling lots 5 and 6 and returning them to acreage. No comments were made during a public hearing for the item.  Commissioner Candice Bullock said another developer intends to purchase and develop the lots.
• Approved the creation of three-way, all-way stops at the intersection of Mustang Road and Old Chappell Hill Road in Precinct 2 and the intersection of Hidalgo Falls Road and Mt. Falls School Road in Precinct 1. Public hearings were held for both items, but no comments were made.
• Approved an Estoppel certificate and agreement between the county and Concho Valley Solar, LLC. The item is related to the supplemental easements and right-of-way execution taken up by the court on January 18^th, regarding Washington County school land in Tom Green County.