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Last year's also rans could run for register of deeds this year
By adamg on Thu, 03/17/2016 - 6:00pm
Suffolk County's more obscure elected positions continue to prove popular among retired or ousted city councilors. The Globe reports that City Councilors Charles Yancey and Steve Murphy, who lost their elections in the fall, are both eyeing the for-some-reason-still-elected position of Suffolk County Register of Deeds.
This morning, a roving UHub reporter spotted Yancey in the register's office:
The deposed councilor is getting a grand tour right now and looks like someone shopping for a new home.
They'd be looking to replace retired Register Mickey Roache, who won the job after retiring from the city council. If they run, they'd be facing perennial candidate Doug Bennett, who is collecting signatures for his own run.
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Comments
Can someone explain to me why
Can someone explain to me why this is an elected position?
Versus what?
Is one better than the other (elected vs. appointed)?
In this case, read the article. Mr Yancey's wife works in the Secretary of State's office. What if Secretary of State Galvin (who has the authority, apparently) appointed him to the position - would that seem "fair"?
Versus, say...
...a person who the voting public has already entrusted with power (say, a governor or mayor, just to pick a name out of a hat) appointing a competent, credible, and—dare I say it—honest public servant?
I've little doubt the end result would be pretty nearly the same—that the person whose name got stamped on my condo's deed is basically a political sinecure—but it would simplify elections greatly.
County governments in MA don
County governments in MA don't do all that much. Deeds is pretty much the most visible function, besides traffic court.
Independence
This job is part of the judiciary, but not a judgeship. Anyone appointed would be beholden to the politician who appointed them. By making it an elected position, the registrar is answerable only to the voters.
When I was a new voter, I asked someone holding a sign for someone running for registrar or clerk of something or other the same question. They could not answer it.
Colonial Fall Back Friday
These register of deeds positions pre-date the Republic, coming about in the 1600s. They were important during colonial times where land disposition and boundaries were being developed. I've read before but cannot currently locate the source that this element of elected colonial rule also operated as a form of limited self-government under the Royal Governor. After the Revolution, these positions retained importance in the early country for similar reasons of land disposition and boundaries. They also operated separate from the un-elected judiciary and were somewhat of a check on that by the people. In modern times, the positions have become largely administrative so the rationale behind electing them no longer really persists, in my opinion. The Register of Deeds and other register offices are very important offices for the actual functioning of our society in terms of what they do - deeds, probate, clerk of courts, etc.
Go Doug!
You can do it!
Go Away Doug!
You can and should do it. Nantucket is calling.
Doug? That's a bad
sign....
They are dedicated public servants.
The thought of not being able to serve the public has been eating at them both.
Either that or they can't find a gig that pays as much for so little effort.
Lazy x 2
Yancey and Murphy are incredibly lazy politicians. Someone who will campaign for the job and can raise some cash could best them. Or Walsh could get his machine behind someone, or someone like current at large councilor Mike Flaherty could run. Or any of the current at large councilors, for that matter.
And let's not forget how Mickey Roache won his city council seat. Prior to that, he was Ray Flynn's police commissioner, who appointed his running buddy after a nationwide search.
Register of Deeds or Register of Probate. These jobs are
hack Nirvana. The voters don't know if your dead or alive until you die or retire.
you'd be surprised
They are the Keeper of the Records for titles and properties. They become important when you least expect it.
No they don't
They manage an office which takes in real estate records. They do not have any influence on the records and therefore have no affect on them which would in turn make them important (when we least expect it).
DOUG 2016!
errrr 2017, or whenever this pointless election is.
Good records management...
The former Councilors failed at good Records Management practices at Council Offices when they had Presidency of Boston City Council. Registries of Deeds need better, more qualified Heads for the Offices http://www.sec.state.ma.us/rod/rodidx.htm and as well a new, better State Secretary!