Looking for a complicated job? The Lake County Commissioners are currently advertising for a Clerk and Recorder, Surveyor, Auditor and Public Administrator – the job title of elected official Katie Harding, who announced in early April that she’s leaving her post May 12 to pursue a different career opportunity.

The lengthy description seeks someone to assist with “the planning, direction and supervision of the operations/departments underneath the Clerk and Recorder (Recording Department, Plat Room and Claims.”

The position, which lists an annual salary of $68, 541, includes an almost dizzying array of responsibilities. Among them:

• Staff supervision, management of the department systems and implementation of activities and software;

• Evaluates processes related to procedures, forms, workflow, and equipment use for the department;

• Responsible for the recruitment, selection, and training of staff;

• Assures compliance with federal, state, and local laws, regulations and guidelines related to department operations;

• Researches laws directly affecting the functions of the Clerk and Recorder's Office;

• Reviews, analyzes, and interprets current legislation for program compliance;

• Assists staff with complex questions regarding state laws, county or internal policies, procedures, and rules;

• Ensures office equipment is working properly and monitors equipment maintenance and support;

• Assists accounts payable in the reviewing and processing of claims and audits claims for completeness and accuracy;

• Records, files and maintains legal documents;

• Assists in research of land ownership, easements and other land records and helps with daily cash reconciliation and deposits;

• Issues birth/death certificates following Montana laws for issuance and notarizes documents for county departments and the general public;

• Works closely with county attorneys regarding taking charge of estates of persons dying in Lake County according to Montana Code Annotated Title 72, Chapter 15, including finding relatives of the deceased, cleaning and selling properties, paying bills and scheduling various services for clients, etc.

Finally, the hiree should be available to “performs a variety of other duties as assigned.”

In an interview in April, Harding noted that “the most challenging portion of the job are all the hats you wear. Most just see the job as the Clerk and Recorder but you are actually elected to four different roles,” which she perceives to be “just as important.”

Commissioner Gale Decker noted that although the county has not had a surveyor or assessor “for quite some years, those offices were never officially eliminated in case there was a reason to revive them some day.”

The commissioners have sent a letter to the state attorney general, asking whether the county has the option to change the position from elected to appointed and hired by the commissioners.

“I don’t when or if we will get a response,” he wrote in an email.

He added that a couple of candidates have inquired about the job but weren’t enthused about running for office in the next election cycle (2024).

“We do have a couple of candidates that we will interview who have told us they would take the position even if they might have to run,” he said.

The job is posted at lakemt.applicantpro.com/jobs.

County Treasurer Robin Vert Rubel also announced her retirement in early April, with a departure date of June 30. An advertisement for her position does not appear on the county’s website yet.

Both women were elected to office in November.