Riley County Clerk

What We Do

Rich Vargo currently holds the position of Riley County Clerk, an elected office with a four-year term.

Elections

The Clerk’s office is most known for conducting elections. To properly coordinate an election, two (2)as-needed, six (6) temporary and approximately 200 poll workers are hired. By State and Federal law, we are required to recruit, train and supervise all election workers. The election process consists of much more than just Election Day. We are required to:

  1. observe voter registration laws
  2. coordinate advance voting 20 days prior to an election
  3. comply with all State and Federal regulations on elections administration
  4. locate adequate polling locations which meet ADA requirements

Human Resources

Our internal customers, (our approximately 270 staff members in the other various county departments) are familiar with the services we provide to them directly. These services include:

  1. human resources management
  2. administration of employment benefits
  3. workers compensation benefits
  4. payroll

Clerk to the Board of Commissioners

The Clerk’s Office is responsible for working with the Board of County Commissioners as the Clerk to the Board. This entails:

  1. preparation of agendas and minutes
  2. maintaining meeting schedules
  3. filing records for the Board

Our office works closely with the Board to develop and manage the annual budget and capital improvement plan, as well as administer the certification of the budget. Annually, in cooperation with the Board, the Clerk’s office administers the advisory board appointments and assists with special projects.

Tax Roll

What is the tax roll and how is the Clerk’s office involved? This role is one of the most commonly misunderstood responsibilities. The Clerk’s Office is responsible for the certification of the tax roll and tax unit maps for all public entities in the county. The real estate department of the Clerk’s office prepares the tax roll, which consists of:

  1. real estate
  2. personal property
  3. intangible taxes
  4. state and special assessments

The tax roll process consists of using the appraised values of all properties, as certified by the County Appraiser’s Office, and converting those into assessed values. Once assessed values are determined and the mill levy is established by our office, the tax roll is calculated. This process is how the tax on each property in Riley County is generated. In addition, our office is responsible for tax abatements and any adjustments to the established tax roll. Ultimately, the Treasurer’s Office creates and distributes tax statements, as well as collects all taxes annually.

Real Estate Records

The Clerk’s Office maintains records of real estate by address, legal description, and owner name. In addition, records of all real estate transfers of ownership are recorded, using various legal records such as deeds, probates, divorce decrees, and death certificates.

Additional Functions

Finally, some of the lesser-known functions of the Clerk’s office include, but are not limited to:

  1. assisting with the preparation of all township, cemetery, and special districts budgets and annual reports
  2. issuing moving permits
  3. transient merchant licenses
  4. pawnbrokers and precious metal dealers licenses
  5. pet licenses
  6. kennel licenses
  7. cereal malt beverage licenses
  8. issuing all Wildlife and Parks permits
  9. maintaining annual inventory records for the County
  10. administering and filing bonded indebtedness reports of all county tax entities
  11. liability/property insurance
  12. risk management
  13. maintaining duplicate ledgers to the County Treasurer
  14. serving as a central point of contact for the public
  15. administering the Armed Forces War Memorial Fund
  16. preparing agendas and minutes for the Department Head committee and the Budget and Planning Committee
  17. serving as a notary public
  18. balance and certify the distribution of motor vehicle taxes to the County Treasurer