Republican Debbie Dunnegan, who is listed on the Nov. 6 ballot as Debbie “Dunnegan” Waters, faces a challenge as she seeks her third four-year term.
That challenge is coming from Democrat Erin Kasten, a paralegal, who is making her first run at public office.
The recorder is paid a salary of $81,149 a year.
WATERS, 50, lives at 6220 Hwy. Y, south of Hillsboro. Her husband is Ken Waters and she has a daughter and a stepson. She is a 1982 graduate of Northwest High School and earned an associate degree in 1984 from Jefferson College.
She is a member of the Recorders Association of Missouri and the Jefferson County Growth Association and has been a children's camp counselor since 2002.
She served four years on the Grandview R-2 Board of Education (2010-2013), was on the Jefferson County Republican Central Committee for 10 years and was a member of the University Extension Council, the Property Records Industry Association and the International Association of Clerks, Recorders, Election Officials and Treasurers.
Social media: Facebook: Debbie Dunnegan - Recorder of Deeds: Jefferson County, MO
KASTEN, 43, lives at 114 Chablis Court, Pevely. She has two daughters. A paralegal at Westhoff Law in Arnold, she is a 1993 graduate of Herculaneum High School and attended St. Louis University and then Lindenwood University, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice in 1999 and a master’s degree in criminal justice administration in 2002.
She was a state probation and parole officer for seven years, has been a program director for the St. Vincent de Paul criminal justice ministry, was treasurer of the St. Louis Area Restorative Justice Collaboration, a member of the St. Louis Area Crime Victims Rights Committee and the U.S. Department of Justice’s Anti-Terrorism Advisory Council. She also has mentored youth through the Big Brothers Big Sisters program.
Social media: Facebook: Erin Kasten for Recorder of Deeds
What are the recorder's duties? Why are you qualified to carry them out?
Waters: The office was established as the only means to track the ownership of real estate. The recorder ensures that documents adhere to state statutes and that recorded documents may be found quickly. The recorder’s responsibility is to ensure that all records are preserved in a manner that, in the event of a disaster, the office may be quickly restored. Prior to being elected, I searched and examined land records in multiple counties, including Jefferson, for 10 years. I know how a chain of title works and how to index documents to make determination of this chain most efficient.
Kasten: The recorder is responsible for maintaining the real estate records of the county and issuing marriage licenses. Documents maintained by the office are public records. As a paralegal, I work with real estate documents regularly and conduct business with recorders’ offices across Missouri. One thing I have noticed about our office in Hillsboro is that the process for searching for these public records is not very accessible. As someone who often uses the services of the office, I am qualified to streamline processes to make the office more efficient and records more accessible to the public.
What would you do to improve public access to data controlled by your office?
Waters: I have had Jefferson County's entire deed and plat history back to 1819 digitally enhanced and imported to a secure online database. Not only can you access records without handling the books and microfilm, but you have access to them anywhere you have a computer. While I would love to be able to provide online access free of charge, county budget structure, state statutes and licensing requirements of software make that impossible. To promise otherwise would be a false statement.
Kasten: Currently, if you need to search for or print a document, you either have to drive to the office in Hillsboro or pay a fee to search online. This is inconvenient and unnecessary. If elected, I would establish a free service to search for and print copies of documents remotely. Other counties in Missouri offer this service for free and I see no reason why that option shouldn’t be made available to the residents of Jefferson County.
What would you do to improve customer service?
Waters: Most people do not realize that staff in this office are prohibited by law from preparing deeds or giving legal advice. However, my staff is trained and motivated to assist everyone who stops by or calls on the phone in every way that the law allows. Every person is treated with dignity and respect, whether they are here to record a deed, look up information or obtain a marriage license. You will always receive prompt service at the counter and responses to your calls and emails.
Kasten: As a regular customer of the office, I have been impressed by the politeness of the staff. Customer service could be improved by having more information available to the public on the county’s website. Making public records more easily accessible to our customers will be a top priority. Ultimately, the most important customer of county government is the taxpayer. I am committed to financial responsibility and will be a good steward of your tax dollars.
Why should voters elect you to this position? List your goals, if elected.
Waters: The function of the recorder's office is too vital to people’s everyday lives and our economy to be put in the hands of anyone who doesn’t understand it or have a passion to protect it. It takes a strong leader, but it also takes compassion and understanding for the situations that people find themselves in. I am not here for a title or prestige. I am a “hands-on” recorder who is here to do a job and to guarantee that it is done well.
Kasten: I will establish a free online database so customers can search for and print copies of documents from their home or office. I will further modernize the office by accepting credit card payments for recording fees and marriage licenses as a convenience. I will ensure that everyone who meets the legal requirements for marriage feels welcome when applying for a marriage license. I believe in open, transparent government that provides services that are easily accessible.