Clerk & Recorder
Overview: Clerk & Recorder and Elections
Pauly B. Miller, the Clerk and Recorder/Assessor/Election Administrator, serves as the ex-officio clerk of the county commissioners, ex-officio recorder, registrar for Blaine County, ex-officio election administrator and the administrator of the county budget and oversees five-county department
- Accounts Payable
- Records
- Elections
- Payroll
Savannah Wendeln, the Election Manager, is responsible for the administration of federal, state, county, city and special district elections in Blaine County according to federal and state election laws. The Election Department also assists in elections for school districts within Blaine County. Additional activities include deputy registrar and election judge training, petition drive signature verification, absentee vote processing and voter registration. Our Election Department maintains the voters’ registration files for approximately 4,000 voters in eight precincts in Blaine County. Maps of the boundaries are available in the Clerk and Recorder’s Office. Approximately 40 temporary election judges are needed to work each election.
What Does the Clerk & Recorder File?
Some of the documents that are recorded and filed for example are:
Deeds
Mortgages
Powers of Attorney
Military Discharges
Oil & Gas Leases
Liens
Certificates of Surveys & Subdivision Plats
Additional Filings Handled by the Clerk & Recorder
Birth & Death Certificates
Certified and informational copies of birth and death certificates may be obtained from this office.
Accounts Payable
Personnel and accounts payable are handled in this office. Most records are public record, but some are confidential.
Elections
Federal, state, county and city elections are handled by this office.
Blaine County Clerk & Recorder
Blaine County Election Manager
Blaine County Clerk
Blaine County Deputy Clerk & Recorder
Jessi Billmayer
Blaine County Clerk
Chrys Juneau
cjuneau@blainecounty-mt.gov
ACCOUNTS PAYABLE
Elections
Mailing Address
PO Box 278
Chinook, MT 59523
Office Address
420 Ohio Street
Chinook, MT 59523
OVERVIEW: ACCOUNTS PAYABLE
The Accounts Payable Department (AP) is responsible for paying all county-related invoices to vendors which include supplies, contracts, services rendered, credit card purchases, and other state agencies. AP is also responsible for 1099’s, updating/maintaining direct deposit (EFT) information and new/existing vendor information for the Department of Administration.
The Clerk & Recorder is also responsible for receiving payments made to Blaine County including cash, checks, wires and payments from other state, local, federal agencies, and private parties. The Clerk & Recorder also prepares the financial statements and supplemental reports in accordance with governmental accounting and financial reporting standards.
Blaine County accounts payable department (AP) is responsible for paying all county related invoices to vendors which include supplies, contracts, services rendered, credit card purchases, and other state agency fees. AP is also responsible for 1099’s, in order for Accounts Payable to process payments, a current W-9 form is required.
The Payroll Department is responsible for employee compensation, benefits, wellness, and workers compensation. To contact the Payroll Department, call (406) 357-3240
The Ambulance Billing Department is responsible for invoicing for all three rural ambulance services, as well as, receiving all payments made to the Blaine County Ambulance services including cash, checks, wires and payments from other insurance companies and private parties. To contact the Ambulance Billing Department, call (406) 357-3280
To contact the Accounts Payable Department, call (406) 357-3240 or email accountspayable@blainecounty-mt.gov.
Public Records Search
overview: PUBLIC RECORDS SEARCH
The Clerk and Recorders Office is responsible for the recording, scanning, and indexing of deeds, mortgages, surveys, mining work, resolutions, military discharges, and many other various documents. The Department also files birth and death records, federal tax liens, notices of action, attachments, judgments, executions, and other miscellaneous documents.
Filing costs are $5.00 per document.
Recording costs are:
Conforming documents are $8.00 per page
Non-conforming documents are $8.00 per page, plus $10.00
To contact the Records Department, call (406)357-3240
Search of Public Records
Documents recorded or filed since 1973 have been automated and are easily accessed by computers and are available at the second-floor lobby of the Blaine County Courthouse in Chinook. Conversion of the older records is an ongoing effort.
Birth and Death Records
Birth and death records on file for Blaine County may date back to the early 1900’s. The current State system enables all counties to issue State birth certificates since 1921 and death certificates since 2003, with continuing updates. The present county costs for a certified birth record are $8.00 and certified death records are $7.00, with genealogical copies $1.00 each.
Please print out the form below, follow the directions on the forms and return it to our office with the appropriate fee.
To mail requests to Blaine County use the following address:
Blaine County Clerk & Recorder
PO Box 278
Chinook, Montana 59523
Property Appraisal
overview: Appraisal / Property Assessment Dept.
The local Appraisal / Property Assessment Office is responsible for:
Maintenance of the Montana Ownership Database for Blaine County
Appraisal and assessment of property
The Department of Revenue also maintains a digital GIS land ownership map database for the entire state. Interactive maps and descriptive data are available on this site for each parcel of land. Visit their website.
Property Appraisal Contact Info
Hours of Operation
Monday-Friday
8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Phone
If you are traveling quite a distance it may be to your advantage to call ahead to (406) 265-5481.
Subdivision Planning
OVERVIEW: Subdivision Planning
If you plan on subdividing a part of any property. The Blaine County Sanitarian and the Blaine County Planner should be contacted for approval of any instrument of transfer prior to filing. Depending upon the circumstances involved, a survey may be required, approval by the Blaine County Commissioners may be required, or approval by the Montana Department of Environmental Quality may be required. Subdivisions creating lots with existing structures or lots for potential building sites typically take several months for approval and most often require the assistance of a consultant. Subdivisions in floodplains are prohibited. NOTE: You will be invoiced for any communication you have with WWC.
Blaine County Contract Planner
Jeremy Fadness, P.E.
jfadness@wwcengineering.com
Blaine County Contract Examining Land Surveyor
dcollins@wwcengineering.com
Floodplain MAnagement
Mailing Address
1275 Maple St. Suite F
Helena, MT 59601
(406) 433-3962
Blaine County Contract Floodplain Manager
Shawn Higley
Phone: (406) 443-3962
shigley@wwcengineering.com
OVERVIEW: Floodplain Management
Much of Blaine County, including parts of Chinook, is in the floodplain and a floodplain permit is required prior to building in the floodplain. Building without a permit may result in costly reconstruction and/or extremely high flood insurance rates. If built in the floodway the building must be removed. Septic systems are prohibited in the floodplain. Unless the building can be connected to a community wastewater system, or the sewage can be pumped out of the floodplain, no building requiring water and sewage facilities can be built in the floodplain. Contact WWC Engineering for more information on wastewater systems. NOTE: You will be charged for any communication you have with WWC.
Blaine County Elections
The Blaine County elections are managed by Savannah Wendeln. The Elections Department is responsible for the administration of federal, state, county, city and special district elections in Blaine County according to federal and state election laws. The Department also assists in elections for school districts. Additional activities include candidate filing, deputy registrar and election judge training, petition drive signature verification, absentee vote processing and voter registration. Our Election Department maintains the voters’ registration files for approximately 4,000 voters in eight precincts in Blaine County. Maps of the boundaries are available in the Clerk and Recorder’s Office. Approximately 40 temporary election judges are needed to work each election.
Blaine County Election Website
Elections
Mailing Address
PO Box 278
Chinook, MT 59523
Office Address
420 Ohio Street
Chinook, MT 59523
Clerk & Recorder Forms
Forms and documents:
Birth Certificate
Death Certificate
Document Standards
Fee Schedule 2023
Find the Right Department
Our Office
Blaine County Courthouse
420 Ohio St
Chinook, MT 59523
Resources
Office Hours
Mon-Fri: 8am - 5pm
Sat-Sun: Closed
