Last Tuesday, I was elected by the people of my county to be the County Surveyor.
I ran against a fellow that had the position appointed to him last year by the County Judge after our long time County Surveyor moved out of the County. I will take over on January 1, 2015 for a 4 year term.
I have never run for any public office, so it was an interesting experience to say the least. You would not believe the cost of those signs for one thing and the rules and regulations to even be a candidate are lengthy.
This is an unpaid position, but I have the opportunity to do any county surveying needs, which I do already, but now I can make free copies at the Clerks Office and also I will have input on Subdivision Standards within the county.
No Office at the courthouse, no county vehicle, no benefits, just a title.
Oh, and I get a big ol plague signed by the Governor to hang on the wall.
It was a pretty good race, results were slow to come in Tuesday night and that was nerve wracking, but I ended up winning by a fair amount.
I have had about a hundred phone calls from people around the county congratulating me and telling me how they voted for me, a good portion of them I do not even know and that is the coolest part.
Randy
> No Office at the courthouse, no county vehicle, no benefits, just a title.
Sounds like a labor of love. Thanks for stepping up and giving back to our profession!B-) :good:
Congratulations Randy
It may be a non paying position, it is an important office when things go obtuse.
From the amounts I have had to pay for copies during research, that savings alone will be well worth your efforts.
The content I could get into about elections and the expenses involved trivia would be hardcore politics, so I won't go there, and I can add a lot of content in that arena, lol
At least you can keep up with more of what is going on in the surveys around your county without having to hunt it all down.
:good:
About That Plague Signed By The Governor ?
I hope there is a cure.
Paul in PA
About That Plague Signed By The Governor ?
I think he meant to say "PLAK". You know, "when you git done with my 'vey, are you gonna send me a PLAK?" 😀
> Last Tuesday, I was elected by the people of my county to be the County Surveyor.
I've never examined the Blanco County Surveyor's Records, but if they still exist, I hope that you spend some time seeing what sort of shape they're in and familiarizing the deputies with their importance.
There are too many rural counties where valuable, old records just fall into the cracks because there aren't people wanting to see them every day.
The full set of survey records will include the books of applications and pre-emption files. In some counties, the County Surveyor kept a book of surveys that he made for private clients or books of corrected field notes that never got filed at the GLO.
Inventorying and identifying the survey records is step one. Finding a patron to pay for any preservation work is step two.
Congratulatins! In my neck of the woods it's a pointless title/position. Maybe some small marketing value. In other areas, such as where you are, it is a worthwhile endeavor. In Kentucky the county surveyor at times is a rather important individual.
Hey that's pretty cool! I've never seen that before.
It's hard to see on that one, but I like the N91degW in a the first frame of the last strip;-)
Congrats Randy - Looks like you are entitled to an Office, a Deputy, and some Chain Bearers and on the counties nickle.
2005 Texas Natural Resources Code CHAPTER 23. COUNTY SURVEYORS
NATURAL RESOURCES CODE
CHAPTER 23. COUNTY SURVEYORS
SUBCHAPTER A. GENERAL PROVISIONS
§ 23.001. DEFINITIONS. In this chapter:
(1) "Commissioner" means the Commissioner of the
General Land Office.
(2) "Land office" means the General Land Office.
Acts 1977, 65th Leg., p. 2367, ch. 871, art. I, § 1, eff. Sept. 1,
1977.
SUBCHAPTER B. ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISIONS
§ 23.011. ELECTION. (a) A county surveyor is elected to a
four-year term as provided by Article XVI, Sections 64 and 65, of
the Texas Constitution.
(b) To be eligible to serve as a county surveyor, a person
must be a registered professional land surveyor.
Acts 1977, 65th Leg., p. 2367, ch. 871, art. I, § 1, eff. Sept. 1,
1977. Amended by Acts 1989, 71st Leg., ch. 1091, § 29, eff.
Sept. 1, 1989.
§ 23.012. RESIDENCE. The county surveyor shall reside in
the county.
Acts 1977, 65th Leg., p. 2367, ch. 871, art. I, § 1, eff. Sept. 1,
1977.
§ 23.013. BOND. The county surveyor shall execute a bond
conditioned on the faithful performance of the duties of the
office. The amount of the bond shall be fixed by the commissioners
court and shall be not less than $500 nor more than $10,000.
Acts 1977, 65th Leg., p. 2368, ch. 871, art. I, § 1, eff. Sept. 1,
1977.
§ 23.014. DEPUTY SURVEYOR. (a) A county surveyor may
appoint a deputy surveyor as he considers necessary.
(b) The county surveyor shall administer the deputy
surveyor's official oath and take his bond in the sum of not less
than $500 nor more than $10,000, conditioned on the faithful
performance of the duties of the office.
(c) The deputy may perform all acts authorized or required
by law to be done by the county surveyor.
Acts 1977, 65th Leg., p. 2368, ch. 871, art. I, § 1, eff. Sept. 1,
1977.
§ 23.015. CHAIN CARRIERS AND MARKERS. (a) A county
surveyor may employ persons 16 years of age or older as chain
carriers or markers.
(b) The county surveyor shall administer an oath to each of
these employees to faithfully perform his duties in accordance with
the instructions given him.
Acts 1977, 65th Leg., p. 2368, ch. 871, art. I, § 1, eff. Sept. 1,
1977.
§ 23.016. OFFICE LOCATION. (a) The county surveyor's
office shall be located in the courthouse or in a suitable building
at the county seat.
(b) Rent for an office outside the courthouse shall be paid
by the commissioners court on showing that:
(1) the rent is reasonable;
(2) the office is necessary; and
(3) an office is not available at the courthouse.
Acts 1977, 65th Leg., p. 2368, ch. 871, art. I, § 1, eff. Sept. 1,
1977.
§ 23.017. ABOLITION OF OFFICE IN CERTAIN COUNTIES. In a
county in which the office of county surveyor was abolished by
Chapter 315, Acts of the 61st Legislature, Regular Session, 1969
(Article 5298a, Vernon's Texas Civil Statutes), the commissioners
court may, when the court considers it necessary, employ a
qualified person to perform a function formerly performed by the
county surveyor.
Added by Acts 1987, 70th Leg., ch. 149, § 25, eff. Sept. 1, 1987.
SUBCHAPTER C. POWERS AND DUTIES
§ 23.051. IN GENERAL. The county surveyor shall perform
the duties required of him by law.
Acts 1977, 65th Leg., p. 2368, ch. 871, art. I, § 1, eff. Sept. 1,
1977.
§ 23.0515. FIELD NOTES, PLATS, AND OTHER DOCUMENTS. (a)
In a county in which there is a county surveyor, only the county
surveyor may:
(1) file and record field notes and plats of surveys
made in the county and other documents required by law to be
recorded in the county surveyor's records; and
(2) issue a certificate of fact and certify the
correctness of a copy of any document, record, or entry shown by the
records of the county surveyor.
(b) If the county surveyor and each authorized deputy of the
county surveyor are absent from the county surveyor's office, the
county clerk of the county has unrestricted access to the county
surveyor's office and public records and may:
(1) record field notes, plats, and other documents
required to be recorded in the county surveyor's records; and
(2) issue a certificate of fact and certify the
correctness of a copy of any document, record, or entry shown by the
official records of the county surveyor.
Added by Acts 2001, 77th Leg., ch. 1421, § 7, eff. June 1, 2003.
§ 23.052. SURVEYS ON WHICH PATENTS ARE TO BE
OBTAINED. The county surveyor shall:
(1) receive and examine all field notes of surveys
made in the county on which patents are to be obtained;
(2) certify to the same according to law; and
(3) record the field notes in a book to be kept by him
for that purpose.
Acts 1977, 65th Leg., p. 2368, ch. 871, art. I, § 1, eff. Sept. 1,
1977.
§ 23.053. RECORD OF FIELD NOTES. (a) The commissioners
court shall furnish the county surveyor all necessary books of
record.
(b) The county surveyor shall record in a well-bound book
all the surveys in his county, with the plats that he may make,
whether private or official.
Acts 1977, 65th Leg., p. 2368, ch. 871, art. I, § 1, eff. Sept. 1,
1977.
§ 23.054. RIGHT OF INSPECTION. At all times, any
interested person, agent, or attorney may examine the books,
papers, plats, maps, or other archives belonging to the office of
the county surveyor on the payment of the fee set by law. In
addition to the fees allowed by law for field work, the county
surveyor may charge 20 cents per 100 words for the record.
Acts 1977, 65th Leg., p. 2368, ch. 871, art. I, § 1, eff. Sept. 1,
1977.
§ 23.055. BOUND RECORDS. If the commissioners court
considers it necessary, it may order that the county surveyor's
record be transcribed in good and substantial books by the county
surveyor or special deputies sworn to make true copies of the
record. For this service, not more than 15 cents per 100 words
shall be allowed to be paid out of the county treasury.
Acts 1977, 65th Leg., p. 2369, ch. 871, art. I, § 1, eff. Sept. 1,
1977.
§ 23.056. LOST RECORDS. (a) If the maps, field notes, or
other records of the county surveyor's office, or any part of them,
are lost or destroyed, the county surveyor shall obtain from the
commissioner a transcript of the lost records, certified to as
required by law.
(b) The certified copy has the same force and effect as the
original.
Acts 1977, 65th Leg., p. 2369, ch. 871, art. I, § 1, eff. Sept. 1,
1977.
§ 23.057. CUSTODY OF RECORDS IN ABSENCE OF COUNTY
SURVEYOR; POWERS AND DUTIES OF COUNTY CLERK. If a county does not
have a county surveyor, the county clerk of the county:
(1) is the legal custodian of the county surveyor's
records;
(2) shall take charge of all records, maps, and papers
belonging to the county surveyor's office and safely keep them in
the county clerk's office; and
(3) may make any certificate and certify any copy that
the county surveyor would be authorized to make or certify.
Acts 1977, 65th Leg., p. 2369, ch. 871, art. I, § 1, eff. Sept. 1,
1977. Amended by Acts 2001, 77th Leg., ch. 1421, § 8, eff. June
1, 2003.
§ 23.058. DELIVERY OF RECORDS TO SUCCESSOR. On removal
from office or at the expiration of his term of office, the county
surveyor shall deliver to his successor all records, books, papers,
maps, and other things pertaining to his office.
Acts 1977, 65th Leg., p. 2369, ch. 871, art. I, § 1, eff. Sept. 1,
1977.
§ 23.059. FAILURE TO SURVEY. If a county surveyor fails,
neglects, or refuses to make a survey or have a survey made, within
one month after the amount of lawful surveying fees are tendered to
him by a person legally entitled to the survey, he and his sureties
shall be liable on his official bond to the injured parties in the
amount of damages or injury the parties may sustain by reason of the
neglect, refusal, or failure.
Acts 1977, 65th Leg., p. 2369, ch. 871, art. I, § 1, eff. Sept. 1,
1977.
§ 23.060. FEES FOR RECORDING AND ISSUING DOCUMENTS. (a)
The fees for recording documents in the county surveyor's records,
for issuing certificates, and for making certified copies are the
fees provided by law.
(b) The county surveyor is entitled to fees for all
documents recorded by the county surveyor or a deputy of the county
surveyor and for all certificates and certified copies issued by
the county surveyor or a deputy of the county surveyor.
(c) The county clerk of the county is entitled to all fees
for documents recorded by the county clerk and for all certificates
and certified copies issued by the county clerk under Sections
23.0515(b) and 23.057(3).
Added by Acts 2001, 77th Leg., ch. 1421, § 9, eff. June 1, 2003.
Disclaimer: These codes may not be the most recent version. Texas may have more current or accurate information. We make no warranties or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the information contained on this site or the information linked to on the state site. Please check official sources.
> Last Tuesday, I was elected by the people of my county to be the County Surveyor.
>
> I ran against a fellow that had the position appointed to him last year by the County Judge after our long time County Surveyor moved out of the County. I will take over on January 1, 2015 for a 4 year term.
>
> I have never run for any public office, so it was an interesting experience to say the least. You would not believe the cost of those signs for one thing and the rules and regulations to even be a candidate are lengthy.
>
> This is an unpaid position, but I have the opportunity to do any county surveying needs, which I do already, but now I can make free copies at the Clerks Office and also I will have input on Subdivision Standards within the county.
>
> No Office at the courthouse, no county vehicle, no benefits, just a title.
>
> Oh, and I get a big ol plague signed by the Governor to hang on the wall.
>
> It was a pretty good race, results were slow to come in Tuesday night and that was nerve wracking, but I ended up winning by a fair amount.
>
> I have had about a hundred phone calls from people around the county congratulating me and telling me how they voted for me, a good portion of them I do not even know and that is the coolest part.
>
> Randy
emphasis added...
per the Natural Resource Code of Texas
§ 23.016. OFFICE LOCATION.
(a) The county surveyor's office shall be located in the courthouse or in a suitable building at the county seat.
(b) Rent for an office outside the courthouse shall be paid
by the commissioners court on showing that:
(1) the rent is reasonable;
(2) the office is necessary; and
(3) an office is not available at the courthouse.
Acts 1977, 65th Leg., p. 2368, ch. 871, art. I, § 1, eff. Sept. 1,
1977.
Was looking at this just last week. Congratulations on obtaining the office.
Randy,
Congratulations. Most of us in Colorado are not salaried, and the main problem is that we are usually told how to do our jobs by county commissioners and county managers.
In my own experience, the most valuable service I provide to the public and to the profession is that of checking subdivision plats for the planning department.
In this capacity I have observed that about 1/10 of all plats coming in are woefully substandard and non-compliant with written statute law. There are a fair number of perfectly competent surveyors that do not understand the subdivision laws.
And, most importantly, I estimate that maybe 25% or more subdivision plats come in with multiple monuments, which of course do nothing but cause trouble for everyone.
So, I have developed ways to deter or eliminate many multiple monuments before they happen - and that is a good thing!
ww co pls
Grand County Surveyor, CO
- Have a nice day! Or, may your monument prevail over some guy's touchscreen.
Do you get hourly, per job, or not at all?
LR - I get hourly, when asked.
