By William P. O’Donnell Norfolk Register of Deeds
I want to give the residents and taxpayers an update as to where the Norfolk County Registry of Deeds is relative to meeting its technology needs. Unfortunately, the assessment is a sobering one. The unsound decisions that continue today began back on June 30, 2021. On that date Norfolk County Commissioner Peter Collins and Joe Shea voted not to appoint a lawfully funded and approved Registry Chief Information Officer. “The understaffing issue in Information Technology (IT) by County Commissioners Collins and Shea is the definition of mismanagement. Today, the Registry of Deeds not only operates without its own Chief Information Officer (CIO) but does not presently have one single full time Registry direct report IT staff person or now “consolidated IT” staff employee to handle Registry operational needs.
The Registry of Deeds’ operation has been degraded by these poor decisions driven by the Norfolk County Commissioners. Promises that there will be a permanent County IT CIO hired by mid-July have not been kept. Here we are in October there is still no hired “consolidated County CIO”. The lack of a considered approach, no transparent collaboration and the absence of a sound business plan by County Director John Cronin in taking over Information Technology (IT) is a regression not a progression.
Contrary to what Commissioner Peter Collins has stated as he asks the voters to re-elect him as County Commissioner the Registry of Deeds and the Registry IT Department was highly successful and efficient with positive user experiences. Commissioner Collins needs to take ownership of his failure to recognize the ever-increasing cyber security risks and threats that are out there in today’s world. The elimination of an on-site direct report Registry IT staff is reckless and has made land records and money collections less secure.
Everyone is more vulnerable to hacks, breaches and ransomware attacks. A Boston NBC investigative report indicates 1 out of 6 communities have been hit by a ransomware attack. Today, Massachusetts ranks 13th of any state in the Country in terms of monies lost to cyber-security attacks according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) Internet Crime Complaint Center.
Good Government process and sound decision making has been missing from Norfolk County Government. There is an old saying “you cannot fight City Hall.” At the Registry of Deeds all the staff can do is try its best to work through these challenges and of course keep you, the residents and taxpayers, informed.
Click link – video of answers to questions about Registry IT
https://www.norfolkdeeds.org/news-event/news-announcements/it-segment-from-october-5-2022-good-deeds-1737
To watch whole show on Real Estate Issues and statistics QATV website link: https://www.qatv.org/?modal=345,episode,219150
 |
| Good Deeds: Update On No More Direct Report Registry Info Technology (It) Staff |
.png "CommonWealth Magazine: \"Sen. Rausch facing challenge from Dooley in redrawn district\"")
![House Speaker Ronald Mariano and Senate President Karen Spilka answer questions from the press after a Monday afternoon meeting with the governor and other officials. [Sam Doran/SHNS]](https://commonwealthmagazine.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/10-17_Mariano_Spilka-620x410.jpg "House Speaker Ronald Mariano and Senate President Karen Spilka answer questions from the press after a Monday afternoon meeting with the governor and other officials. [Sam Doran/SHNS]")
