Martyne challenging St. Myers for recorder

Betty St. Myers is seeking a fourth term. She’s facing a challenge from a first-time candidate.

Republican incumbent Betty St. Myers is running for re-election as Jay County Recorder against Democrat Dominic Martyne. Early voting begins Oct. 10 at Jay County Courthouse, and the general election will be Nov. 6.

St. Myers, rural Portland, a 1978 graduate of Jay County High School, has served as recorder for 12 of the last 16 years, taking a break from 2011 to 2015 because of term limits. She previously served as first deputy recorder from 1996 through 2002.

Martyne, Portland, is a history professor for Ivy Tech Community College and Purdue Polytechnical, and also serves as a substitute teacher for Jay School Corporation. A 2007 Jay County High School graduate, he earned a bachelor’s degree from Ball State University in 2012 and a master’s degree in 2015.

The candidates responded to a questionnaire from The Commercial Review. Their answers follow:

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Why is the office of Jay County Recorder important?

Martyne: Republics are founded on private property. The recorder maintains the records of what belongs to whom, from the newest mortgage to the oldest family farm. It is also the repository where we can trace the growth of our community through these documents. This office, therefore, is fundamental to how Americans can be secure in knowing that their property rights will be maintained.

St. Myers: It is the primary duty of the county recorder to ensure documents submitted for recording meet the state’s recording requirements and to maintain those documents for perpetuity. Documents in the recorder’s office are primarily real property records.

It’s important to maintain those records, which include deeds, mortgages and other liens, to preserve the history of a property and to prove ownership.

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What would you do to improve the functioning of the recorder’s office?

Martyne: My opponent has served in that office faithfully for two decades, and so I would need some time in the office itself to improve on what has been done to this point. One thing I am interest in is finding records and primary documents about Jay County’s past and presenting them to the public at our yearly events to make the office more visible.

St. Myers: I constantly strive to improve the preservation of county records and our ability to retrieve that information, and technology helps to do that. My goal for 2019 is to start accepting electronic recordings, or e-recordings, for quicker turnaround times and improve ease of recording. I also plan to continue backloading old deed records to make more information available digitally, which makes property searches more efficient. In my current term, my staff and I have backloaded 25 years of deed records.

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What makes you the best candidate for the position?

Martyne: My academic background has given me two primary skills: documentation and storytelling. If my papers weren’t in order, my grades would suffer for it, since citations are the trails back to where we find evidence. It is an essential part of myself, and would transfer easily into the recorder’s duties. As for storytelling, I would use it to not only explain who we are as a county, but to install a sense of pride in our rural community. I think I’m the best candidate because I want to go above and beyond the daily duties of this office.

St. Myers: My 20 years of experience in the Jay County Recorder’s Office make me the best candidate. I know the state’s recording laws, and my years of state-mandated training have helped to expedite the recording process in the office. I know the history of the recorder’s office and understand the various aspects of county government. However, my customer services is my best asset. Before working in local government, I worked in retail for 18 years. When people walk into the office, I help them find the answers they need. I work for the taxpayer and I never forget that.