County Clerk

Online Services

County Clerk/Register of Deeds

Mary Hollinrake, County Clerk / Register
Sonya Dean, Chief Deputy Clerk

County Administration Building
300 Monroe Avenue NW
Grand Rapids, MI 49503-2288
Phone: (616) 632-7640
Fax: (616) 632-7645

Kent County Courthouse
180 Ottawa Avenue NW
Grand Rapids, MI 49503-2288
Phone: (616) 632-5480
Fax: (616) 632-5458

Office Hours
Monday-Friday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM 

Mission Statement

Maintain public records for the citizens of Kent County. Disseminate information requested in a proficient, timely manner.

Overview

The Kent County Clerk’s Office has three major functions: to manage County elections; to manage vital County records; and to process and maintain all Circuit Court files. In Kent County, the Clerk is also the Register of Deeds. The Clerk is also the Clerk of the Board of Commissioners, and statutorily serves on numerous County boards and commissions.

The County Clerk’s Elections Division oversees all elections conducted in Kent County including all school elections and monitors campaign finance law.

The Register of Deeds Office records all documents pertaining to real property in Kent County, including deeds, mortgages, land contracts, liens and other documents pertaining to real estate.

The Clerk files, stores, and retains original vital records (i.e., birth, death, and marriage records), and makes certified copies of said records available to the public. The Clerk also processes applications for concealed weapons licenses, notary publics, business registrations and records military discharges. Since 2005, the division moved to an imaged system converting old microfilm documents to digital images to better serve the public.

As Clerk of the Circuit Court, she keeps the Circuit Court’s records. The Clerk opens, maintains, tracks, and stores the records for all cases filed in the Circuit Court including all juvenile court cases. Court files are public records, and may be inspected at the Clerk’s Office. Litigants file at the Clerk of the Court’s office for divorce, other family matters (e.g., paternity, custody, and juvenile support), civil actions for which the amount of damages exceeds $25,000, and other civil matters over which the Circuit Court has jurisdiction. All felony criminal cases are filed with the Clerk. The Clerk of the Court’s financial division processes payments for court-ordered fines, costs, restitution, forensic fees, and other assessments.

Strategic Goals

  • Politically advocate for stream-lined election laws that improve voting process and enhance the integrity of elections
  • Protect current revenue streams and explore methods to ensure changes in statutory allowable fees cover costs.

Operational Goals

  • Comply with federal and state statutes and rules that govern elections
  • To process and maintain records in accordance with federal and state statutes and policies to ensure the integrity of records
  • To distribute information requested in a timely manner
  • To process and maintain filings/records in accordance with federal and state statutes and Michigan Rules of Court to ensure the integrity of records
  • To provide service and information as to the public record regarding real property located in Kent County
  • To promptly process and accept for public record all documents received pursuant to the Michigan Recording Act
  • To research and develop new ways of using technology to improve the input, storage, and retrieval of information

2009 Adopted Uses: $4,043,236

2009 Adopted Revenues: $6,272,200

Department History of Uses

Uses
2006
Actual
2007
Actual
2008
Adopted
2009
Adopted
Personnel $2,748,262 $2,986,596 $3,122,039 $3,099,514
Commodities 344,206 364,004 415,950 218,350
Contractual Services 98,983 79,823 109,190 100,457
Capital Outlay 1,011 705 6,000 2,000
Special Projects 399,524 426,439 663,373 622,915
Total Uses $3,591,986 $3,857,567 $4,316,552 $4,043,236
       
Personnel FTE 53 52 52 51

Significant Budget Issues

The budget spikes up during even numbered years due to costs associated with the type of elections held in even numbered years (i.e., state-wide gubernatorial, or presidential elections).

One vacant Clerk Typist II was eliminated in 2009.

History of Uses (in millions)