Penny Rich, candidate for Orange County Register of Deeds
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Candidates for Orange County Register of Deeds
Who is running for Orange County Register of Deeds? Get to know the primary election candidates in our 2022 Voter Guide.
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Former commissioner Penny Rich is challenging incumbent Mark Chilton in the May 17 primary to become Orange County’s next Register of Deeds.
The Register of Deeds is responsible for maintaining the county’s land deeds and records, and for issuing marriage licenses, birth and death certificates to residents.
No Republican candidates have filed for the partisan race, meaning the winner of the primary election also could win in November, barring a write-in candidate.
Early voting in the primary begins April 28 and runs through May 14.
To find polling places and full details on early voting, visit co.orange.nc.us/1720/Elections or contact the Board of Elections at 919-245-2350 or vote@orangecountync.gov.
Name: Penny Rich
Age: 62
Occupation: consultant, WE Power Food, a statewide nonprofit focusing on Women Food Entrepreneurs
Education: Bachelor of Fine Arts, Pratt Institute; Master of Arts in Communications Technology, New York University
Political or civic experience: Orange County Commissioner, 2012-20; Chapel Hill Town Council, 2009-12; PTA member, Seawell/Carrboro/Smith/Chapel Hill High; server, IFC meal prep; cooking classes with residents of HomeStart; Women’s Build Day, Habitat for Humanity; JCC Food Bank Volunteer; OWASA Board of Directors, 2001-07; State Executive Committee, Orange County Democratic Party, 2009-20; Carrboro Town Hall Precinct Chair, Orange County Democratic Party, 2018-20; Kenan Scholar Mentor, 2016-present
Party affiliation: Democrat
Campaign website: pennyrichfororange.com
Who are your top three campaign contributors? Stef and Steve Rosner, Laura and Michael Brader-Araje, Marion and Stan Robboy. Next report is not due till May 1; this info may change.
Why do you want to serve as Register of Deeds?
I have been serving the community I love for over 20 years, and I want to continue as Orange County’s next Register of Deeds. The ROD office is based on two principles:
▪ Service, good customer service involves providing timely, attentive, upbeat service to everyone that uses the ROD office.
▪ Stewardship; the responsibility of protecting the integrity, completeness, accuracy and safekeeping of public records required by the General Statutes of North Carolina.
It’s a critically important office that requires diligent, focused leadership, and that’s exactly what I bring to the table.
My years of experience have uniquely positioned me as a leader who has risen to every challenge: from the 2001 drought to the 2020 pandemic. My work as the chair of the Orange County Board of Commissioners gave me the privilege of engaging with every part of local and state government. Collaborative efforts between the county and town mayors, managers, department heads and UNC allowed me to lead Orange County through 2020: one of the most challenging times we have ever faced. Because of these efforts, our residents stepped up and became part of the solution in keeping everyone safe and healthy.
During this time, we needed government to step up, too. So when the pandemic first started, Gov. Cooper directed the most essential governmental departments across the state to remain open. The register of deeds was one of them; despite the conditions, babies were still being born, people still wanted to get married, and, tragically, people died. And yet, the office was closed, communication with the public was fraught, and residents had to travel to neighboring counties to make important transactions. When times get tough, we need our government officials to go above and beyond. In this case, the ROD did not step up.
During conversations with community leaders and stakeholders, I listened closely for ways that local government could better serve our community. Time and time again, I heard concerns about the ROD office. Aside from the office’s pandemic response, it became clear to me that improvements were needed to abide by the basic principles of service and stewardship. That is why I am running for this position. I will make the ROD more responsive by being present and active — in the office and in our community. I will provide focused leadership and respond to the needs of Orange County residents. I will work with our state legislators and the Register of Deeds Association to advocate for common-sense policy that benefits everyone in North Carolina. I will make the office more user-friendly by improving communications, renovating the website and web interface, and re-working the document request process to better serve those who use the ROD office on a regular basis. I will maximize efficiency by evaluating and streamlining procedures and providing service from 8 a.m.-5 p.m., including during lunch time. We can do better, Orange County, and I am ready to step up.
What about your skills and experience qualifies you to be the Register of Deeds?
I have been serving our Orange County community for over 20 years in many capacities. As an elected official, my priority has always been to take a deep dive into each department to gain knowledge and understand the different components that comprise our local government. This was true when I was on the OWASA Board of Directors from 2001 to 2007, the Chapel Hill Town Council from 2009 to 2012, and the Board of County Commissioners from 2012 to 2020.
My master’s degree in communications technology qualifies me for the day-to-day duties of leading an effective, 21st-century governmental agency. My skill set includes managing staff, exploring new technologies and tools to modernize and update procedures, and creating an equitable space where staff is empowered to perform their duties and provide top-rate customer service.
As the chief elected official in Orange County in 2020, I led the county’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, one of the most challenging times we have ever faced as a community. My leadership, collaboration, and dedication got us past the height of the pandemic, and my service was recognized by my peers and colleagues with three awards — one from Gov. Cooper himself.
While the ROD is not a policy-making position, we should never be complacent when it comes to the policies that affect children, Spanish-speakers, wage workers, and other members of our community. Advancing policy and enacting change as the Register of Deeds requires diligent and sustained advocacy, including being present and involved with our state ROD association, working with the UNC School of Government, and lobbying our legislators. I remain committed to advancing the equitable and effective policy that I’ve fought for my whole career, and I’ll continue to build the partnerships necessary to best serve our community.
Finally, as a small-business owner in Orange County, I understand the importance of supporting my staff and giving them the right tools to do their job. Just as I fought for living-wage jobs as a county commissioner, I am a proud living-wage employer myself, and I will ensure that the people that make our office work — the wonderful ROD staff — have the dignity, support, and trust that they need.
What is the Register of Deeds office doing right in Orange County? What could it do better?
Something that the Register of Deeds’ office has done well in recent years is making active efforts to preserve the history surrounding slavery in Orange County and help Black members of our community trace their family lineage and property holdings over time. As Register of Deeds, I will expand these efforts by being more involved with the 13 other ROD offices that participate in the “People Not Property” initiative, which aims to document the history of enslaved people throughout North Carolina. Orange County should be a leader in this regard, so it’s high time we join our peers on the board of directors in this important initiative.
We demand the best from our government services in Orange County, so it’s important to first acknowledge where we can improve. There is absolutely no reason why it takes so long to get a closing on property completed in a timely manner, or why there’s a 30-day backlog for land to receive a PIN number. Currently, the ROD office closes for lunch from noon till 1 p.m. — right at the time when wage workers might be able to visit the office — and stops recording at 4 p.m. Office hours are 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
Furthermore, ROD has cut staff, and when the level of service is not what it should be, I don’t think this is a good solution. And finally, when I heard that during the COVID-19 pandemic, members of our community needed to drive to Alamance and Chatham counties just to get their marriage certificates, I knew I had to be part of the change.
To address these concerns, I will make sure my staff has the tools needed to provide courteous, helpful, and professional services to our residents and customers in a timely manner. I will upgrade the website and web interface, which is long overdue. I will communicate and create a space for team-building to eliminate the information gap between the ROD office and other governmental departments. The ROD office should not be a silo, as this only creates backlogs, specifically in land records and real estate closings.
I will also take a deep dive into helping those that fit in the LEP (Limited English Proficiency) category. When folks that don’t speak English use the ROD office, they may struggle to fill out applications correctly, which can contribute to existing backlogs. I have talked to RODs across the state who have put provisions in place such as hiring a full-time Latinx staff member and utilizing tele-language operators to make filling out paperwork and requesting records seamless for everybody, regardless of language.
What will be your three top priorities if elected? Choose one, and describe how you would address it.
▪ More responsive
▪ More user friendly
▪ More convenient
As part of my plan to be “More Responsive,” I pledge to deliver timely service and maximize efficiency by streamlining procedures to allow for rapid turnaround for information requests and real estate closing times. Renovating the website and interfacing software must be the number one priority. Currently, the site is difficult to navigate and clumsy, making the time spent researching deeds unusually long. I will make the office convenient and accessible to wage workers, Spanish speakers, and every member of our community by providing service from 8-5. I will be present, available and involved within our office, other departments in the county and the Register of Deeds statewide association.
We need to build a ROD office that meets the high standards of local government that we hold here in Orange County; my decades of experience in public service prepare me to take on this challenge and with your vote on May 17, I know we can get it done.
