Understanding the complexity and benefits of county government

Most people understand their county government has many responsibilities. Unless someone has a need of those services, few people have a clear picture of the full range of duties of one department or another. Nor do they realize that all 72 county governments in Wisconsin are, and were intended to be, an arm of state government and need to follow the laws they pass and fulfill the duties that are required. In addition, county government can pass local ordinances that are not covered or restricted by the state.

The Register of Deeds and Sheriff’s Department are two important county agencies that I would like to review in this week’s column.

The first deals with public records that cover us from birth to death, including marriage, land records and military discharge records.

The Sheriff’s Department, on the other hand, has to do with public safety and deals with an extended range of responsibilities including jail security, law enforcement, court protection and much more.

The Register of Deeds for Sheboygan County is Ellen Schleicher; her office is located at 508 New York Ave. in Sheboygan. As with all county offices, this is a partisan position with elections taking place in the fall of the year (2012).

The Register of Deeds office has a staff of six that records, indexes, archives and maintains the following:

• Collects statutory fees and submits a portion to the state for the Land Information Program.

• Handles certified survey maps, subdivision plats, condominium plats, county plats and transportation plats as required by Wisconsin State Statutes.

• Records and keeps federal tax liens.

• Keeps military discharge papers and issues certified copies as requested by the veteran or veteran service officer.

• Keeps vital records (birth, marriage, death, and domestic partnership), issues certified copies, collects statutory fees, and submits portions to the Children’s Trust Fund and Departments of Administration and Revenue.

Those wishing to do so can go online to obtain application forms as well as certain real estate information for a fee or they can come directly to the Register of Deeds office. The office does allow for genealogy research, but with certain hour and other restrictions. Some of these records go back to our statehood in 1848 and before. The county Web site is www.co.sheboygan.wi.us.

Sheboygan County’s sheriff is Michael Helmke; his office is located in the Law Enforcement Building, 525 N. Sixth St. in Sheboygan. It too is a partisan position with elections taking place in the fall every four years (2010).

The Sheboygan Sheriff’s Department has about 180 men and women working in variety of positions. Its responsibilities are many. The Sheriff is in charge of the jail and responsible for all those ordered into his custody. He provides bailiffs to the courts and must serve and execute all processes, writs, precepts and orders issued or made by lawful authorities. The office is responsible for water rescue and recovery operations for the waters within the county and the Sheriff must enforce all general orders of the department of commerce relating to the sale, transportation and storage of explosives within the county.

Already, that is a lot of responsibility – but there is still more. Next week’s column will continue listing other responsibilities and duties of the Sheboygan County Sheriff’s Department.