Should County Clerk Assume Middle Registrar’s Duties?

COURT HOUSE — Should the Cape May County Clerk become Middle Township’s registrar of vital statistics? With the county’s only hospital and three large nursing homes in its borders, Middle’s registrar is tasked recording many births and deaths, more than other county municipalities.
The issue was posed to freeholders by County Clerk Rita Fulginiti at the Tue., May 8 caucus meeting. Director Gerald Thornton, lukewarm to the idea, while realizing its attributes, asked Fulginiti to “reach out” to other municipalities to learn if there is a larger desire to drop the duties of registrar into the clerk’s office.
Thornton wondered how the other 15 municipalities would feel about their tax dollars supporting a Middle Township function. A registrar of vital statistics is mandated by law for each municipality, Fulginiti said. Some municipal clerks also serve in that capacity while other towns have a separate person perform the tasks.
Fulginiti explained that officials in Middle Township contacted her asking her office about “taking on the role of (registrar) vital statistics” since the Bonnie Millard, Middle’s registrar, will be retiring.
“The law allows freeholders to appoint a county clerk as local registrar,” Fulginiti said. Towns must file an operations plan with the N.J. State Registrar of Vital Statistics who has jurisdiction over all registrars, she added.
Included in the job is the recording of births, deaths, marriages and civil unions within a municipality.
Certainly, the job would not be new to the clerk’s office, said Fulginiti. She projected a photograph of a book from her archives listing marriages from 1795-1814. “It is something we did in Colonial times,” said Fulginiti. “Births and deaths were not records made public. Records were kept by families in Bibles and homes. Marriages were public record, even then, and the county clerk did record them,” she added.
On screen Fulginiti displayed an 1897 marriage license application.
“Middle Township has the most (vital statistic) activity because the hospital (Cape Regional Medical Center) is there. There are also a lot of deaths, and they also have a funeral home, so it is very active in Middle,” Fulginiti said.
She cited 1,360 “transactions” performed by Middle’s registrar last year, and noted those produced $57,993 in 2011. That compared to $65,718 in 2010, $68,430 in 2009 and $66,443 in 2008, according to township figures.
“It’s not a money-making proposition, but it does cover most of the costs,” said Fulginiti.
There would be some drawbacks, she noted. Chief among those would be that, because the county clerk’s office is also a U.S. Passport Agent, “Because of federal regulations, we could not mix those two activities (registrar and passport agent) together,” she said.
There are seven passport agents in the office, she said. They take applications and handle passports.
“Those could not have any involvement with birth, death and marriage record activity,” said Fulginiti.
Records must be kept “secure and separate,” she added, due to the importance of identity documents.
Shifting the burden to county from Middle would require one full-time and one part-time staff member. While that could be costly if Middle Township alone shifted its duties, there could be “efficiencies” by centralizing in the clerk’s office, Fulginiti said.
Fulginiti was not anxious to add more work onto the present office staff, since it has dwindled from 28 in 2005 to 19 at present. “We are keeping pace with the workload…with a retirement coming up, I don’t see how it is feasible to tax the people we have,” Fulginiti told the board. Staff members would have to be certified.
Part of the onerous task of filing death certificates is made easier by funeral homes with computers, Fulginiti said.
Quizzed on approximate salary of Middle’s registrar, Fulginiti said about $38,000 plus benefits. Was there another person assisting that person? Thornton asked. Yes, she said, a part time employee paid about $10 an hour.
Fulginiti was quick to point out that, once on staff, that person could assume more work from other municipalities. “When the next town comes in that is where efficiency comes in,” she added. While Middle Township is the municipality tasked with the work, the service benefits the entire county, she noted.
“Does every town have a registrar?” asked Thornton.
“All except West Wildwood,” Fulginiti replied.
“Do most municipal clerks accept the role?” Thornton asked.
Some do, some don’t, he was told. Middle’s clerk does not accept registrar’s work.
“It would be worthwhile for us to hold this in abeyance and perhaps plan to reach out to other municipalities,” said Thornton.
“I envision other towns would want to do it eventually as there are changes in personnel,” said Fulginiti. “Ocean City would probably never want to do it,” she added.
Thornton then asked about Lower Township, since it and Ocean City are two of the county’s largest municipalities.
“There is a separate registrar in Lower Township. She is in the municipal clerk’s office,” the clerk said.
“It’s the same in Ocean City,” replied Vice Director M. Susan Sheppard.
“How much revenue is derived?” asked Freeholder Will Morey.
Of a $28 marriage license fee, Fulginiti said $3 remains with the municipality, $25 is sent to the state. As with other fees collected by the County Clerk’s Office, Fulginiti said last year the office collected $19 million in Real Estate Transfer fees, and by the time it got back to the county, the fees produced $4 million.
Of a $135 passport fee, the county gets $25, she added.
“It is aggravating when you think about it, but it’s about public service,” said Fulginiti.
Morey advanced another obvious question if the work were to shift to the clerk’s office: Where to park? Parking during weekdays on North Main Street in Court House is somewhat limited in the immediate area of the clerk’s office.
“It’s kind of crazy when you visit the clerk’s office to try to find a place to park,” said Morey.
“Parking is a challenge,” Fulginiti admitted, and noted that many go into her office seeking Middle Township’s registrar, only to be told it’s about half a block away.
“What does it cost to get married?” Morey asked.
“I don’t charge a fee,” said Fulginiti. She has performed over 700 marriages during her tenure, 140 last year.
“How many were successful?” asked Thornton with a grin.
Fulginiti told the board of a call from a young Coast Guardsman who called three days after the ceremony and asked if she had already filed the papers, if she could “do something.” “I made a big mistake,” Fulginiti recalled that serviceman’s words. Laughter erupted.
Contact Campbell at (609) 886-8600 Ext 28 or at: al.c@cmcherald.com