Mark Chilton, 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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Orange County Register of Deeds Mark Chilton is facing his first challenger, former Commissioner Penny Rich, in the May 17 primary.
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: Mark Chilton
Age: 51
Occupation: Register of Deeds
Education: N.C. Central University School of Law, 1997 cum laude
Political or civic experience: Register of Deeds, 2014-present; Carrboro mayor, 2005-13; Carrboro Board of Aldermen, 2003-05, Chapel Hill Town Council, 1991-97; worked previously for many years developing nonprofit affordable housing
Party affiliation: Democrat
Campaign website: ChiltonRegister.com
Who are your top three campaign contributors? Myself, Mary-Dell Chilton, and Sherman Richardson
Why do you want to serve as Register of Deeds?
As Register of Deeds, I serve as the unofficial historian of Orange County, and after 17 years as a real estate lawyer and eight years as Register of Deeds, I am by far the most knowledgeable candidate.
I have created search tools for all of Orange County’s old handwritten deeds from 1752 to 1874, and in my next term will complete 1875 to the invention of the typewriter. I love working as your register of deeds and will continue to make this office more efficient — we have already reduced staff by 15% while returning 150% more net revenue to the taxpayers — and I will do more in my third term to maintain excellent customer service and outstanding ROI (return on investment) to Orange County!
What about your skills and experience qualifies you to be the Register of Deeds?
I have been a real estate professional for 25 years and have drafted and handled every type of document that comes through this office. I am a proud 1997 graduate of NCCU School of Law and have worked in all facets of real estate law.
What is the Register of Deeds office doing right in Orange County? What could it do better?
I have made this office far more efficient through software upgrades. We handle 75% more document volume today with 15% less staff, returning $1.25 million to Orange County taxpayers (up from $500,000 when I was elected). And we do all that while providing more services than ever, like Fraud Alert and U.S. Passport Services.
Where we can and will do better is in converting to putting PIN numbers on deeds electronically (in partnership with the Tax Department). This new system will eliminate 100,000 pages of printing per year, saving taxpayers even more money!
At the same time, I continue to work with our state association to bring light and heat upon a dysfunctional State Vital Records office. The State needs to step up its game dramatically. While we are completely up to date on our records, the State lags up to two years behind in processing some vital records. With our association, I am putting pressure on the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services and the governor to demand that State Vital Records do better.
What will be your three top priorities if elected? Choose one, and describe how you would address it.
▪ Enabling the Tax Department to place Parcel ID Numbers on deeds electronically — to eliminate up to 100,000 pages of unnecessary printing.
▪ Completing our historical records summary tools to make old handwritten records more comprehensible — helping, among other things, reveal the true story of the lives, suffering, and perseverance of people of color in Orange County’s past. This award-winning work will continue, expanding our work to make research tools regarding free people of color from before the Civil War, and following their stories through Reconstruction and into the 20th century. While all of our records are available online, handwriting can be difficult to read, so the research tools we are working on make interpreting these documents much easier.
▪ Continuing our outstanding record of customer service for Orange County — most services take less than 20 minutes — with a trimmed down staff, and dramatically increased revenue returned to the taxpayers of Orange County.
With respect to item three, improvements in our software system (done on time and under budget) have allowed us to operate this office with 12.5 staff (down from 15 when I took office). We record and issue documents in less than 20 minutes in 90% of cases. We have done and will continue to do this while handling 75% more documents now than when I took office, returning $1.25 million in net revenues to help fund our schools, parks and other county services.
In the next fiscal year, we project net revenues of $1.4 million, while holding the line on expenditures, providing more services, and outstanding customer service from highly qualified and well-trained public servants!
This story was originally published April 24, 2022 at 1:22 PM.
