In preparation for Election Day (Tuesday, Nov. 4) The Recorder has compiled a brief overview of Marion County offices up for election this year.
Marion County Assessor
The office of the assessor locates, identifies, and appraises all taxable property in accordance with Indiana law.
Marion County Auditor
The auditor is a constitutional officer who also serves as secretary of the Board of County Commissioners. Their responsibilities include but are not limited to: distribution of revenue collections to county taxing units and local government entities, accepting applications for and maintaining property tax deductions for all county property owners, and preparing payroll and coordinating employee benefits administration for all City and County agencies and departments.
Marion County Clerk of the Circuit Court
The Marion County Clerk of Circuit Court’s office performs a variety of record-keeping duties for the local judicial system, the Board of County Commissioners, as well as Marion County citizens.
The clerk issues marriage licenses, maintains a plethora of court records including criminal felony and misdemeanor cases, and serves as the chief financial officer of the county.
Marion County Prosecutor
A county prosecutor prosecutes felony cases in the county for which he or she works. In some jurisdictions, this position is appointed to a lawyer by the local government, although this is less common than elections. The primary job of this type of lawyer is to prosecute citizens of the county who are believed to have broken the local laws. He or she will typically decide which cases will go before a judge, and work with local law enforcement to gather evidence and try cases against a citizen. In most instances, the county prosecutor handles all felony cases in the county for which he or she works, and, in smaller counties, he or she may handle all legal cases.
Marion County Recorder
The Office of Recorder was the first constitutional office in county government in Indiana. The recorder is responsible for maintaining permanent public records involving a wide variety of instruments. These documents detail transactions involving real estate, mining, personal property, mortgages, liens, leases, subdivision plats, military discharges, personal bonds, and more. The Recorder makes all of these recorded documents a matter of public record.
Marion County Sheriff
The Marion County Sheriff’s Office, which is divided into five divisions; the Administration, Communications, Civil, Criminal and Jail Divisions, utilizes civilians as well as deputies to maintain the safety of citizens through a variety of law enforcement based efforts. There are only two states in the entire country (Rhode Island and Hawaii) where the office of sheriff is staffed via governmental appointment rather than election.
Superior Court Judge
The Marion County Superior Court, comprised of 36 elected judges, 29 commissioners and magistrates and over 750 staff employees, is structured with 4 divisions – Civil, Criminal, Juvenile and Probate. The court has exclusive jurisdiction over all criminal cases filed in this county. On average, the Superior Court will resolve nearly 40,000 criminal cases, 200,000 traffic cases and nearly 50,000 civil cases yearly.
