Shelton seeks re-election as register of deeds

Anderson County Register of Deeds Tim Shelton recently announced he will seek re-election to the position he has held for 12 years, a press release said.

“The people of Anderson County have placed a great deal of trust in allowing me the opportunity to hold the position of register of deeds, and for that I am truly thankful,” said Shelton, who has served three terms. “With that trust, comes the responsibility of working to make this the best office it can possibly be. In looking back over the past 12 years, I believe we have done just that.”

In a press release, Shelton outlined his accomplishments while serving as register of deeds and stressed the importance of creating an environment that is welcoming to the public.

“Of the many things I am proud to have done as register, five really stand out,” Shelton said. “The first is that we extended office hours to better serve the public. Additionally, we changed our operational structure, eliminating the 35-hour work week and going to a 40-hour work week. Third, the staff received additional training, and each employee has earned the distinction of being certified public administrators through the University of Tennessee Institute for Public Service.”

Shelton said the office was able to convince the state legislature to convert military discharge records from public records to confidential records.

“This was done to protect vital personal information that was included in the documents, thus protecting our veterans from identity theft,” he said.

Shelton said his office developed a website that allows the public to view documents online for free.

“We are one of only two counties that offer this service in the state, the other being Shelby County,” Shelton said.

He said ethics and accountability are high priorities in his life.

“I take very seriously the trust that voters in Anderson County have placed in me,” Shelton said in the press release. “I work hard to cut operational costs where possible, and, in fact, have made significant cuts in the budget over the past several years.”

He added: “Also, during the 12 years I have been in office, we have never had an audit finding. In a recent operational audit conducted at the request of County Commission on all county departments, the register of deeds office received high praise. One auditor stated that this office was one of the most efficient and well-managed he had seen in all of his years of auditing county government.”

Shelton said he brings experience and knowledge of the duties of the office to his campaign for re-election, important qualities for an officeholder responsible for accuracy of records.

“Without experience, the office could be put at risk of violating state law and of providing inaccurate records information to the public,” Shelton said.

The Anderson County Register of Deeds office has been honored by both the Tennessee Registers Association and the County Officials Association of Tennessee. The Registers Association named Shelton Register of the Year in 2004-05, and the County Officials Association honored him as Register of the Year in 2009-10.

He has served as president of the Tennessee Registers Association and is currently president of the County Officials Association of Tennessee. A lifelong resident of Anderson County, he lives in Clinton with his wife Dara and their two children, Addy and Harrison.