County Clerk’s Corner
Office Officials:
Dwight Sullivan
County Clerk
Brandy Chapman
Chief Deputy - Courts
Jason Nguyen
Chief Deputy - Real Property
Bill Sargent
Chief Deputy - Elections
Mailing Address:
Galveston:
600 59th Street
Suite 2001
Galveston, TX 77551
League City:
174 Calder Road
Room 149
League City, TX 77573
Telephone:
(409) 766-2200 - Galveston
(281) 316-8732 - League
City
Office Hours:
M-F 8 am - 5 pm
Website:
www.galvestontx.gov/cc/
pages/default.aspx
Holiday Closings:
Labor Day - September 9
Comments, Suggestions,
E-Subscribe:
[email protected]
State-mandated electronic
filing begins July 2014. For
more information, visit the
state’s website at:
www.supreme.courts.state.t
x.us/pdf/mandatoryefiling.pdf
It’s Galveston County’s Birthday!
The first official recording in Galveston County was filed on July
13, 1838, this year marking 175
years of existence. In 1838,
Texas as we know it was a sovereign nation called the Republic of Texas, its president Sam
Houston.
County Clerk who hand-recorded
documents with a quill pen and a
bottle of ink, to an imaging system where documents are received electronically. We watch
Commissioners Court meetings
in real time on a computer or
smart phone, and we vote at the
push of a button on E-Slate voting machines. I wonder what our
A lot has changed in 175 years.
first County Clerk Oscar Farish
The office has gone from a single
would think if he saw how we
operate today.
The articles in this quarter’s
newsletter explain how we are
preserving history and making
those records secure and accessible to the public. Please take a
few minutes to read through the
newsletter and see some of the
highlights of the summer months.
County Clerk’s Office Celebrates 175 Years of Service
Galveston County’s first County
Clerk Oscar Farish was born in
Fredricksburg, Virginia on December 18, 1812. He came to
Texas in October of 1835, while in
his twenties. He joined Captain
McIntyre’s Company of
Sherman’s Regiment and participated in the Battle of San Jacinto.
In 1838, he was elected engrossing clerk at the First Republic of
Texas Congress held in Houston.
That same year, he moved to
Galveston and was elected
County Clerk, where he stayed in
office for 30 years.
States after the Civil War in 1868.
The first document filed in the
Galveston County Clerk’s Office
was a deed from Branch T.
Archer to S. Rhoads Fisher, dated
June 25, 1838, and filed on July
13, 1838. This deed conveyed a
one-fourth interest in the Samuel
C. Bundick League, which includes all of present day Tiki Island and much of the property
lying across I-45 to the north.
Farish recorded the deed by his
own hand in Book A, page 1.
During his career, Farish was a
city councilman, a member of the
His career spanned periods of
Odd Fellows Lodge, as well as
historical significance, such as the
various civic and Texas soldiers
Republic of Texas years, Texas
groups. He ran with all of Galvesstatehood in December 1845,
ton’s movers and shakers, and it
Texas as a member of the Conis said that he gambled away his
federate States in 1861, and a reGalveston mansion in a card
instatement after the end of the
game one night. Despite that, he
Civil War. His term ended when
was regarded by Galvestonians
he refused to take the “Iron Clad
as “clear headed and irreproachaOath” of allegiance to the United
bly honest.” His method of index-
Follow us on Facebook @ Galveston County Clerk’s Office
ing documents stood for over 150
years.
Today, current County Clerk
Dwight Sullivan and staff are
bringing Oscar Farish’s document
recordings back to life. Books
containing historical documents
are being digitized. Soon, images
of the historical books will be attached to electronic indexes by
Internet access or county building
public information access computers. The Galveston County
Clerk’s Office leads the way in
digitizing records in Galveston
using existing staff. By using record management and archive
fees from new filings, the County
Clerk’s Office has helped to reduce cost to Galveston tax payers
for new technology and document
accessibility.
Voter ID Registration
Commissioners Court Goes Live
WHAT TO EXPECT AT THE POLLS:
First: Unless you hold an Exempt Voter Registration Card [e.g., you are
more than 50% disabled], in order to vote a regular ballot, voters will need
to present to the election workers one of the following IDs:
● A Texas Driver's License
● A Texas Election ID Card from DPS (available for free)
● A Texas Personal Identification Card
● A Texas Concealed Handgun Permit
● A U.S. Military ID card
● A U.S. Citizenship Certificate with a photo on it, or
● A U.S. Passport
If you do not bring one of these forms of ID with you to the polls, you will
be required to vote provisionally. If you forget to bring your photo ID with
you, not a problem! Go to the Voter Registrar’s office with your photo ID
within six days following the election and complete an affidavit for the
Early Voting Ballot Board to count your vote.
We are excited to announce that as of
July 23, 2013, Commissioners Court is
live and can be viewed as streaming
video on either your smart phone or
tablet, or through your Internet
browser. Our new Commissioners
Court software, Sire, is in full swing
and the project has been completed.
We are pleased with the progress we
have made in turning an antiquated process into a streamlined advancement in technology. This has allowed us to spend less time transporting
paper from office to office. The new system provides real time voting,
thereby, showing government transparency. While in the courtroom, the
public is easily able to view the vote as it happens on three screens. In addition, the public can stream the meeting as it is happening in the comfort of
their home. The public will easily be able to search online for topics of interest. The prior system only provided searches by keyword and has been that
way since the inception of the county in 1838. The Sire system OCRs each
document, allowing you the ability to search the agendas and the accompanying documents. www.co.galveston.tx.us/commissioners/
Second: The new Voter ID Registration law requires the election workers
to check the name on your photo ID against the name on the Voter Registration rolls. If they are not “exactly” the same but are similar you will be
required to sign an affidavit stating that you are the same voter on the list
of registered voters. An example of a “significantly similar” name would be
Bob for Robert or Bill for William. Or you might have a middle initial on the
voter rolls, but your full name is on your ID. The law requires that we get
the information as shown on your ID so that the Voter Registrar’s—the
Honorable Cheryl E. Johnson—records match your photo ID. If experience tells us anything, this may impact a large number of voters and it
could create a logjam at the polling place. Please be patient with us as we
work through this to comply with the new law.
For more information on this new law and how it effects you, go the
state’s website at: http://www.votetexas.gov/register-to-vote/need-id
Why Go Green?
Reducing waste is the number one goal of an office’s recycling program.
A byproduct of recycling is saving money and energy. Less waste equals
lower disposal costs. Reduced waste benefits the environment’s air and
water. By going digital and reducing paper usage, the average office
worker will save one tree each year. For every ton of recycled paper
saves 4000 kilowatts of energy. Beyond saving the public money and
reducing the county’s environmental footprint, it’s important for the County
Clerk’s Office to present a positive image to the public, to practice what
we preach. Having an office recycling program lets the community see
our genuine concern for the environment and our willingness to do something about it. The more we all can do the better.
The County Clerk’s Office Recycling Program started in mid 2012. The
program's goal is to reduce the amount of office materials sent to the
landfill and to increase the amount of recycled materials. As a result,
more material has been recycled rather than being diverted to the landfill.
Presently, the program includes the recycling of corrugated boxes, office
paper, newspaper, office folders, and plastic bottles. Office departments
are responsible for shredding the office’s paper materials. Shredding is
part of a record management program to assure proper handling of
county records.
As much as ninety percent of office waste in an average workplace can
be recycled. Recycling is just another way the County Clerk’s Office is
committed to going green.
Mandatory eFiling Now Available
On November 9, 2012, the Office of Court Administration selected Tyler
Technologies’ Odyssey File and Serve system as the statewide electronic
court filing (eFiling) portal for Texas’ Courts. The Supreme Court of Texas
signed the mandatory eFile Order on December 11, 2012, which will require
attorneys to electronically
file Probate and Civil court filings.
According to population,
Galveston County is required to
implement by July 1, 2014.
In anticipation of the deadline, Galveston County had a project kickoff meeting in July with the
Texfile project team. Within
the next quarter, the county will be
transitioning to the new platform. Galveston County is very fortunate in that
the current court system, Odyssey, and the new eFile system is owned by
the same vendor. Documents will seamlessly flow from Texfile into Odyssey.
The upcoming changes will drastically change how we conduct business
and make for a “more robust, less expensive, convenient and green filing of
legal documents.”
Back File Project
The County Clerk’s Office has been steadily working on a project to digitize
historic records in order to comply with mandatory eFiling. Staff has been
archiving files that have surpassed the necessity of keeping the paper record. The official record is now the electronic record. The project began for
our Misdemeanor records in December 2012.
This phase of the project has removed approximately 12,000 paper files from the shelves. The
Civil record project began in February of this
year. This phase of the project has removed
approximately 1,300 paper files from the shelves.
In addition, we are recycling the file folders as
they are archived. By relabeling the folders, we
are able to save $9,300 a year. These projects
will save the county money in storage costs and
purchasing file folders, alleviate the burden on
the Records Management Officer in transporting
files, and provide all records electronically. In the
near future, the Probate record project will begin
their Archive Project.
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Celebrations!
Stir It Up
The County Court is dedicated to
giving back to the community
through the Helping Hands Foundation. We did this during the
holiday through a toy drive and
by collecting blankets and personal care products for the senior
residents at Gulf Breeze and Gulf
Health Care Centers.
Happy Retirement:
July: Robert Bullacher retires with 22 years of service!
Happy Birthday:
July: 2 Gilbert; 4 Aimee; 28 Carolyn
August: 8 Jason; 14 Jose; 15 Amy; 16 Misty; 21 Janet;
24 Sarah C; 25 Rita; 30 Lin
September: 4 Barbara; 6 Dick; 14 Kaylin; 19 Liz; 22 Elaine; 28 Carla;
October: 1 Gerald; 9 Dwight; 10 Renee; 12 Sarge
November: 8 Mae; 14 Delores; 14 Shaelei; 14 Annaya; 21 Cindy;
30 Maria
December: 10 Jesus; 12 Patricia; 14 Wendy; 16 Veronica; 22 Von;
23 Elizabeth; 30 Stacey
Happy Anniversary:
July: None
August: 24 Teresa; 29 Jose
September: 14 Gerald; 17 Renee; 20 Annaya
October: 7 Maria F; 10 Dick; 14 Mae; 24 Aimee; 24 Rebecca;
29 Susan
November: 2 Aaron; 15 Liz; 26 Natalie; 30 Elizabeth;
December: 1 Clarisse; 3 Jesus; 15 Lucy; 17 Janet; 20 Delores;
22 Barbara; 26 Amy;
The Helping Hands Foundation would like to do more by way of your kitchens. The office’s holiday pot luck showcased the great cooks among us.
Why not let the rest of the county and beyond in on what we already know?
In the coming weeks we’ll be asking for your recipes for the publication of a
community cookbook. Proceeds from this cookbook will benefit the Helping
Hands Foundation. So, dust off your index cards, find those safely-guarded
family recipes and share them with us. Cooking and sharing food is a great
way to build community and fellowship, with the added bonus of helping a
great cause.
First Annual Employee Picnic
The first annual employee picnic for the County Clerk's Office was a huge
success. Be sure to check out our picture gallery on facebook. Hope to see
you there next year.
Follow us on Facebook @ Galveston County Clerk’s Office
Spotlight on Service: Elaine Mitrovich
Elaine Mitrovich has been linked with the county
clerk’s office in some fashion or another for nearly
forty-eight years and through eight County Clerks.
For thirty years she worked for Stewart Title as an
abstractor, and recalls a time when state law
decreed space had to be provided for abstractors.
Galveston was where Elaine was stationed and
after thirty years of coming to the court house, it
was like she worked here, so working for the
county after retiring from Stewart Title Company
seemed like a natural transition.
with her family, which includes a nephew and two
nieces, and the children of her deceased fiancé.
“We got our rings on Monday, he went in the hospital on Tuesday, and Wednesday he was gone.”
She loves his children and is close to them to this
day.
Eighteen years into her second career, and Elaine
still lights up when she talks about the county’s
history, especially Oscar Farish, who was Galveston’s first County Clerk. She laughingly admits
she has a love-hate relationship with the man,
whose original record books she spends her days
indexing as part of the County Clerk’s project to
digitize and make searchable all the court’s documents.
“It was rumored he drank, and on some days you
can see how his handwriting starts off small, and
then grows larger and then smaller again.” It’s
best not to get her started on Farish’s, whom she
often refers to just as Oscar, unique page numbering system. “I’ve cursed that man so many
times since starting this project.”
Outside of work, Elaine enjoys spending time
forties before he married and started a family. She
recalls a story of him being a ’bootlegger,’ back
during Prohibition, when ships would dock in the
gulf near the island and he’d take a boat out to
meet the docked ship and unload the illegal alcohol it carried. “It was a huge risk, but back then
twenty dollars was a lot of money and there was
the Depression too.”
She has one brother, Milton, who is deceased.
She left the island for twenty years to live in La
Marque when she cared for her mother, who battled cancer through four remissions before passing away. Like those who are born on the island
(BOI), she couldn’t wait to return..
She lives on the island now, sharing her home
with her niece Andra Mitrovich, a professional
singer, and three dogs. She loves her dogs, and
would like another cat if she can find the right one.
One of the dogs has issues with cats. She’s the
secretary of her church, likes to read and travel,
and sometimes to cook, though she says her
niece is a wonderful cook and can put together an
amazing meal in minutes, one that would take her
hours to prepare. Elaine also loves to laugh, and
has been known to tell an off-color joke or two,
though that is (not) a safely-guarded secret.
Elaine lives on the island where she was born.
Her father came to Galveston from Serbia when
he was seventeen, but it would not be until his
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If you really want to know Galveston and its rich
history, just get Elaine to talking. She is a lover of
history, especially of the island’s, and is happy to
share stories and memories.
Timelines
● 2010: Tyler’s Odyssey Court System has been in use since 2010 for Probate, 2011 for Civil, and 2012 for
Misdemeanor. The system streamlines warrant processing, allows online viewing of documents, and makes
report creation more efficient;
● 2011: League City Branch Office accepts all court filings, including the issuance of citations;
● August 2011: E-Filing of Appeals to the 1st and 14th Court of Appeals implemented;
● Summer 2011: Instant Return allows walk-ins the ability to record a document and leave with it, which
allows a reduction in employee cost and processing;
● Summer 2011: Eliminated microfilm processing. This saved the county approximately $40,000 and allowed
the office to better utilize existing personnel;
● March 2012: E-Filing for Civil and Probate went live;
● June 2012: Odyssey Court Systems for Misdemeanors went live with the final phase of the project, which
allows online viewing of the records;
● August 2012: Initiated relationships with the Justice of Peace offices;
● Fall 2012: Began shredding and recycling paper and plastic;
● September 2012: E-Recording allows customers to scan documents for recording and upload it to any of
the county clerk’s four (4) accredited vendors. Documents are electronically recorded in real time for
paperless, immediate access and viewing;
● October 2012: Texas State Library and Archives Commission Retention Schedule for court records
adopted;
● November 2012: E-Poll Books allow the elimination of paper poll books. Election judges can now access
registered voter information from a laptop;
● November 2012: Vote Centers are election super centers that welcome any registered voter to cast a ballot,
regardless of the resident’s precinct;
● November 2012: Outreach: The County Clerk’s Election Department successfully conducted a record-high
fourteen (14) entity elections;
● December 2012: Misdemeanor records archived and file folders recycled;
● January 2013: Misdemeanor Archive Project is ongoing with a current 2,824 corrected files and 3,247 files
archived;
● January 2013: Addressed the Grievance Oversight Committee;
● January 2013: Court records redaction software that will protect the personal information contained in court
records continues to be researched;
● February 2013: Civil records archived and file folders recycled;
● February 2013: Digitization of approximately 3,500 historic books and maps that date back from 1838 is
completed. All data are now safe and secure in the county database. Functionality for public access will be
in full force in 2014. The public can readily access through the county clerk’s website real property
documents from 1965 thru present;
● February 2013: Mock elections training conducted as a tool for additional training for election judges and
poll workers to enhance skill and knowledge in conducting election;
● March 2013: Restoration and preservation of 48 of 250 priceless historic books and maps have been
com pleted;
● March 2013: Civil Archive Project has just gotten underway with 86 corrected files and 398 files archived.
Both archive projects will eliminate the offsite storage of records ($40,000 a year) and will save on the cost
of storage supplies such as folders;
● May 2013: Sire’s Minutes Plus purchased in 2012, and the process of converting Commissioners Court
Minutes began. The system will go live in May of 2013 and will create a text searchable index that will be
available to the general public;
● 2013: Sire Commissioners Court software is now live and allows the public to view streaming video live and
in real time;
● 2013: Probate records began the archiving process during the second quarter of the year;
● 2013: Digitalization of all court records prior to 1995 will began during the third quarter of the year;
● 2014: Mandatory E-Filing for Civil and Probate filings will be implemented.
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