Two candidates face off in Democratic primary for Kane County recorder

This is one in a series of stories examining contentious races in the March 19 primary election.

The race for Kane County record holder in March’s Democratic primary will be between Marisela Villegas and Brenda Rodgers.

The primary election is March 19. Current Kane County Recorder Sandy Wegman is running unopposed in the Republican primary.

Rodgers, of Elgin, is running for a third time as county recorder and said he brings decades of real estate experience with him. He is also a member of the Elgin City Council.

“The most important part of the recorder’s job is to maintain land records and maintain veterans’ records along with their DD214 documentation regarding their entitlements upon honorable discharge,” he said. “When I meet people and knock on residents’ doors, most of them, nine out of 10, are unaware of the services the registrar’s office offers or what it does.”

Rodgers said it’s “important for elected officials to let individuals know what their duties are.”

“We keep copies of survey plats for developers, record deeds and keep old property records,” he said. “We need to make people aware of the services offered and keep the elderly informed about what is going on. There’s a property surveillance that’s been around for six or seven years, a service owned by the registry office. “If someone tries to place a lien on someone’s property without their knowledge, this will alert them if someone tries to change their name or any activity on their property.”

Rodgers said she wanted the recorder position “because I’m a Realtor and I think the office can do so much more.”

“We need people to be aware of the services. “The office does not currently accept debit or credit cards and we need to make it more user-friendly for people who want to make transactions because not many people carry cash anymore,” he said.

He said that working with the elderly and the services they need should also be improved.

Holding regular town hall meetings and informational seminars “will help keep people informed,” he said.

Villegas, 31, of Aurora, is a first-time candidate who currently works for the Kane County Recorder’s Office.

The recorder’s most important function, he said, is to “take what the public brings to us and make it available to the public.”

“We are mostly interested in land records. We work on the title deeds and title deeds of people’s houses. “If people lose them, they can always get a copy,” he said. “We are following the documents; title deed, mortgage, liens against your home, it’s all there. “We record DD214 documents for veterans and also offer property surveillance.”

Another function, he said, is to work closely with villages and cities in Kane County.

“They come in and bring regulations for registered parcels and other things that need to be recorded,” Villegas said. “I am interested in this position. I think we need a new face. I’ve been working in the office for the last two years and I’ve enjoyed it and want to continue working.

“We need to stay on top of any technological changes — that’s important, of course — and we’re an office that follows what the government is saying as laws change, so we need to make sure we’re aware of any changes to that,” he said. aforementioned.

Villegas adds that community outreach is also important and “holding different events in different places to make people aware of what we do and the services we offer.”

“We need to inform our seniors about our property custody and let them know that they can always go online and look at documents related to their property,” he said.

David Sharos is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.