Warren County recorder says pandemic year was the hardest of all 16 years

Teresa Kay Albertson, Des Moines Register
·3 min read

Warren County Recorder Polly Wright is retiring this year, which has opened up a Republican primary race for her position. The primary is June 7.

Along with the recorder's position, other Warren County elected positions open this year and the announced candidates are:

  • Warren County Supervisor District 1: Republican Mark Snell

  • Warren County Supervisor District 2: Republican Crystal McIntyre, incumbent

  • Warren County Supervisor District 2: Democrat Alfonso Valenzuela-Gumucio

  • Warren County Treasurer: Republican Julie Daughtery, incumbent

  • Warren County Recorder: Republican Steve Garrett, Republican Jodryn Hill, Republican Rose Funaro Houston, Republican Laura Pfaff

  • Warren County Attorney: Republican Doug Eighholz, incumbent

Wright is retiring after 16 years. In her first election, she ran and won against five other candidates who were vying to replace the then-retiring recorder.

Warren County Recorder Polly Wright, a Republican, is retiring from serving as recorder for 16 years. Four Republicans are vying for her seat in the June 7, 2022 primary.
Warren County Recorder Polly Wright, a Republican, is retiring from serving as recorder for 16 years. Four Republicans are vying for her seat in the June 7, 2022 primary.

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"I had some friends that encouraged me to run," Wright said. "They just thought I'd be a good fit."

Wright, a Republican, came to the position after many years in banking. The position is responsible for maintaining and managing documents pertaining to official property, real estate, vehicle registration, hunting and fishing licenses, and all vital records (birth certificates, death certificates, marriage licenses).

Wright said the county has put significant efforts into digitizing much of the county's records of deeds, back to 1856. So far the county has spent $114,114 since 2018 on scanning and digitizing of deed indexes, deed books and miscellaneous other indexes in the office. That has been 145 record books with 87,182 imaged pages.

The digitizing project is funded by a $1 surcharge on each recorded document in the county. That surcharge is for records management in the recorder's office. Wright says digitizing the rest of the deed indexes, deed books and miscellaneous other indexes will cost another $109,000 for the remaining 210 books. The rest of the digital archiving will be conducted when the records management fund is built up again through time. But that will be after Wright leaves her position at the end of the year.

Former Warren County Recorder's office employee Debbie Graham hands a deed out the window to Indianola attorney Steve Hall. In 2020, the Warren County Recorder's most difficult year, says Polly Wright, the office conducted business out of the window when the administration building was closed due to COVID-19.
Former Warren County Recorder's office employee Debbie Graham hands a deed out the window to Indianola attorney Steve Hall. In 2020, the Warren County Recorder's most difficult year, says Polly Wright, the office conducted business out of the window when the administration building was closed due to COVID-19.

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The county's tax-based general fund has not gone to fund the work.

Wright said if money was unlimited, she'd also like to digitally archive military discharge records.

Wright said digitally archiving records for the citizens of the county is so important because fire, flood, tornado and other natural disasters can wipe them out.

"Linn County flooded in 2008 and they lost so much over there. They are still working to clean up those books and get them scanned," Wright said.

The digital records are available on the Warren County Recorder's website at no charge.

"When I first started in this position we couldn't accept debit cards," Wright said about how technology has been upgraded in the office.

Wright said 2020 was the most difficult year for her when the county administration office was closed. The recorder's office conducted work out of a window.

Warren County Recorder Polly Wright is retiring from her 16 years years serving as the county's recorder. Pictured with her are her office colleagues, left to right, Tami Jorgensen, Wright, Sharon Wiley, and Katie LaFollette.
Warren County Recorder Polly Wright is retiring from her 16 years years serving as the county's recorder. Pictured with her are her office colleagues, left to right, Tami Jorgensen, Wright, Sharon Wiley, and Katie LaFollette.

"People thought we were in here twiddling our thumbs, but we had so many deeds to manage. People were buying property with the low mortgage rates and they were buying all-terrain vehicles and off-road vehicles. And kayak sales just went crazy. It was challenging," Wright said.

Wright said she's looking forward to spending more time with her children and grandchildren after she retires. She's also planning on getting out in her new kayak.

"I've just loved working with everyone in my office through the years. It's been like working with a family but we never have anyone grumpy here. I guess, well, I know I'll miss the people, but I won't miss the responsibility," Wright said.

Teresa Kay Albertson covers Des Moines' southern suburbs for the Register and the Indianola Record-Herald. Reach her at talbertson@registermedia.com or 515-419-6098.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Retirement in Warren County office leads to crowded primary race