GENESEE COUNTY HUMAN RESOURCES

COUNTY BUILDING I, BATAVIA, NEW YORK

 

ANNOUNCES

 

AN OPEN COMPETITIVE EXAMINATION FOR:

 

RECORDING CLERK, O.C. #62-164

 

SALARY:  $14.39 - $17.11 per hour (2015) Genesee County.

 

VACANCY: This examination is being held to establish an eligible list to fill future vacancies as they occur.  An eligible may receive only one permanent appointment from this list. Once appointed, there will be a Probationary Period of 8-52 weeks based on performance of duties. During this probationary period the Department Head has the ability to terminate employment, without cause.

 

CANDIDATES MUST HAVE BEEN LEGAL RESIDENTS OF GENESEE COUNTY FOR AT LEAST TWO (2) MONTHS IMMEDIATELY PRECEDING THE DATE OF THE WRITTEN EXAMINATION, AND MUST HAVE CONTINUED THEIR RESIDENCY THROUGH THE PERIOD LEADING TO THEIR INITIAL APPOINTMENT.

 

 

       LAST FILING DATE----------SEPTEMBER 9, 2015

 

                   WRITTEN EXAMINATION DATE----------OCTOBER 17, 2015

 

 

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS: Candidates must meet the following requirements on or before the last filing date:

Graduation from high school or possession of an appropriate equivalency diploma recognized by the NYS Department of Education, including or supplemented by a typing course or six (6) months experience in typing, AND EITHER:                  

A.  One (1) year of full-time, paid experience in a position working with legal instruments and records in a department of municipal, state, or federal government, a law insurance, or real estate office, or a title/abstract or related agency, [IF CLAIMED, PLEASE INDICATE ALL RELEVANT EXPERIENCE ON YOUR APPLICATION];

OR:

B.  Two (2) years of full-time, paid clerical experience, [IF CLAIMED PLEASE INDICATE ALL RELEVANT EXPERIENCE ON YOUR APPLICATION];       

C.  Any equivalent combination of training and experience as defined by the limits in (A) and (B) above, [IF CLAIMED, PLEASE INDICATE ALL RELEVANT TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE ON YOUR APPLICATION].

 

NOTE:  PHOTO ID WILL BE REQUIRED ON THE DAY OF THE EXAMINATION.

 

CANDIDATES, PLEASE NOTE: It is vital that you submit, with your application, all information necessary to show your qualification for examination.  APPLICATIONS WHICH DO NOT SHOW TRAINING AND/OR EXPERIENCE TO MEET MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS WILL BE DISAPPROVED, AND WE WILL NOT REFER TO OTHER APPLICATIONS ON FILE FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION.

 

NOTE – FILING FEES: (The acceptance of your application is dependent upon your following these instructions accurately):

A fee of $20.00 is required for each separately-numbered examination for which you apply.  The required fee must accompany your application.  The fee may be submitted in the form of either CASH or CREDIT CARD (if delivered in person), PERSONAL CHECK or MONEY ORDER, (if by mail).  Personal Checks and Money Orders must be payable to the GENESEE COUNTY TREASURER.  Please write the examination number(s) on your personal check or money order.  YOUR APPLICATION FEE WILL NOT BE REFUNDED if you do not meet the requirements for admission to the examination. Compare your qualifications carefully to the requirements stated on the announcement and file only for those examinations for which you are clearly qualified. A waiver of application fee will be allowed if you are receiving unemployment and are primarily responsible for the support of a household.  In addition, a waiver of application fee will be allowed if you are determined eligible for Medicaid, or receiving   Supplemental Security Income payments, or Public Assistance (Temporary Assistance for Needy Family assistance or Safety Net Assistance), or are certified Job Training Partnership Act/Workforce Investment Act eligible through a State or local social service agency.  All claims for application fee waiver are subject to verification.  In order for us to verify your eligibility for an application fee waiver, you must complete a “Request for Fee Waiver” form and submit it with your application by the close of business on the Last Filing Date as indicated on the Examination Announcement. The “Request for Fee Waiver” form can be obtained at Genesee County Human Resources, 15 Main Street, Batavia, NY 14020 or from our website, www.co.genesee.ny.us.

 

TYPICAL WORK ACTIVITIES:

Assists the public, title searchers, members of the legal community, and other governmental agencies in person, by mail, or by telephone providing guidance, direction, forms, and researchassistance as necessary to complete their transaction or resolve their request;

Examines mail and counter transactions for accuracy, recordability, conformity with legal requirements, and completeness, and approves/rejects as applicable;

Computes and collects fees and taxes as they apply with the issuance of receipts and recording stamps both manually and by computer, accounting for all refunds received and changes made;

Conducts searches for filed and recorded information per requests and issues the applicable certificates/certified documents;

Reviews and processes applications for pistol licenses, dealer licenses, notary public qualifications, and passport documentation;

Conducts correspondence and telephone inquiries on matters where policies and procedures are outlined or refers to proper authority for more detailed resolution of complex issues;

May be asked to obtain Notary Public license and performs notary functions for the public upon demand, maintaining a journal and enforcing strict notary practices;

Prepares bank deposits of monies received, keeps related records, balances computer fee collection system, maintains mortgage tax accounting, and prepares appropriate reports and transmittals for other municipal, state, or federal agencies.  Reports may include financial data, transaction material, forms to be annotated, notary public qualifications, state refund applications and scanning of daily checks into the banking account system;

Processes, indexes, files, annotates, and records a variety of legal instruments pertaining to civil, criminal, real property, pistol permit, and other areas following the specific indexing guidelines/procedures for each record series;

Performs microfilming and verification of specified records on a routine basis including documents and camera preparation and processing.  Operates camera for photos for passports and the image capture workstation for motor vehicle photo-licensing as necessary;

Scanning of documents in the computer systems for preservation and permanent archival of records. This would also include the scanning of maps of current and archival maps into the system for quick retrieval of records;

Maintains confidentiality of sealed and restricted access records pursuant to New York State law.

 

SUBJECT OF EXAMINATION: The written test is designed to test for knowledge, skills, and/or abilities in such areas as:

 

1.   Clerical Operations with Letters and Numbers;

2.   Name and Number Checking;

3.   Office Record Keeping;

4.    Public Contact Principles and Practices.

 

CANDIDATES ARE PERMITTED TO USE QUIET, HAND-HELD, SOLAR OR BATTERY POWERED CALCULATORS.  DEVICES WITH TYPEWRITER KEYBOARDS SUCH AS COMPUTERS, SPELL-CHECKERS, PERSONAL DIGITAL ASSISTANTS, ADDRESS BOOKS, LANGUAGE TRANSLATORS, DICTIONARIES AND ANY SIMILAR DEVICES ARE PROHIBITED.

 

The New York State Department of Civil Service has not prepared a test guide for this examination. However, candidates may find information in the publication "How to take a written test" helpful in preparing for this test. This publication is available on line at: www.cs.ny.gov/testing/localtestguides.cfm

 

EXPANDED SUB-TEST DESCRIPTION:

Clerical Operations with Letters and Numbers-These questions test for skills and abilities in clerical operations involving alphabetizing, comparing, checking and counting. The questions require you to follow the specific directions given for each question which may involve alphabetizing, comparing, checking and counting given groups of letters and/or numbers.

Name and Number Checking-These questions test for the ability to distinguish between sets of words, letters, and/or numbers that are almost exactly alike. Material is usually presented in two or three columns, and you will have to determine how the entry in the first column compares with the entry in the second column and possibly the third. You will be instructed to mark your answers according to a designated code provided in the directions.

Office Record Keeping-These questions test your ability to perform common office record keeping tasks. The test consists of two or more "sets" of questions, each set concerning a different problem. Typical record keeping problems might involve the organization or collation of data from several sources; scheduling; maintaining a record system using running balances; or completion of a table summarizing data using totals, subtotals, averages and percents. You should bring with you a hand-held battery- or solar-powered calculator for use on this test. You will not be permitted to use the calculator function of your cell phone.

Public Contact Principles and Practices-These questions test for the ability to interact with other people, to gather and present information, and to provide assistance, advice, and effective customer service in a courteous and professional manner. Questions will cover such topics as understanding and responding to people with diverse needs, perspectives, personalities, and levels of familiarity with agency operations, as well as acting in a way that both serves the public and reflects well on your agency.

 

CROSS-FILING:If you have applied for other local government or state examinations, call or write to each civil service agency to make arrangements no later than two weeks before the date of the examinations.  You must notify all local government civil service agencies with whom you have filed an application of the test site at which you wish to take your examinations.  The “Cross-filer Form” for Genesee County can be obtained at Genesee County Human Resources, 15 Main St., Batavia, NY 14020 or from our website, www.co.genesee.ny.us.

 

NOTE: Religious Accommodations, Persons with Disabilities or Active Military: If special arrangements for testing are required, please indicate this on your application. An explanation of your need for special testing accommodations must be attached to your application.  If due to disability – medical documentation must be provided.

 

ACTIVE MILITARY MEMBERS: Any member of the armed forces of the United States who has duly filed an application to compete in a scheduled competitive examination but was deprived of the opportunity to compete in the examination due to active military duty could be provided with a special military make-up examination.

Current members of the Armed Forces may apply for Veteran’s credits by filing an “Application for Veteran’s Credits” (Form VC-1).  The “Application for Veteran’s Credits” can be obtained at Genesee County Human Resources, 15 Main St., Batavia, NY 14020 or from our website at, www.co.genesee.ny.us. Proof of military status must also be presented and verified in order for consideration of granting of “conditional” Veteran’s credit.  Acceptable proof may include a military I.D. card, military orders, or other official military document that substantiates active military service at time of exam. This documentation and VC-1 Form must be received prior to the establishment of the Eligible List for this examination.  The “conditional” status of the additional credits will remain until proof is provided indicating that the service was in time of war and that the veteran received an honorable discharge, or was released under honorable circumstances.

 

VETERANS: Additional credits are available to veterans who meet certain established requirements.  Veterans who have not exhausted their credits should make application for their use, if desired.  A COMPLETED APPLICATION FOR VETERANS CREDITS (FORM VC-1) AND a COPY OF SEPARATION PAPERS (FORM DD-214) MUST BE RECEIVED BEFORE THE ELIGIBLE LIST FOR THIS EXAMINATION IS ESTABLISHED IN ORDER TO UTILIZE ADDITIONAL CREDITS.  DISABLED VETERANS MUST SUBMIT, IN ADDITION, A COPY OF FORM VC-3 (AUTHORIZATION FOR DISABILITY RECORD). The “Application for Veteran’s Credits” can be obtained at Genesee County Human Resources, 15 Main St., Batavia, NY 14020 or from our website at, www.co.genesee.ny.us.

 

ADDITIONAL CREDIT AUTHORIZED:  Additional credits shall be allowed for children of firefighters and police officers killed in the line of duty, as “child” in this section in competitive examinations for original appointment.  (a) On all eligible lists resulting from competitive examinations, the names of eligible persons shall be entered in the order of their respective final earned ratings on examinations, with the name of the eligible person with the highest final earned ratings at the head of such list, provided, however, that for the purpose of determining final earned ratings, children of firefighters and police officers killed in the line of duty shall be entitled to receive an additional ten (10) points in a competitive examination for original appointment in the same municipality in which his or her parent has served.  (b) Such additional credit shall be added to the final earned rating of such child, as the case may be, after he or she has qualified in the competitive examination and shall be granted only at the time of establishment of the resulting eligible list.

 

PLACE TO FILE: To get an application, come in or send a stamped, self-addressed envelope to: Genesee County Human Resources, County Building I, 15 Main Street, Batavia, NY 14020 or download from website: www.co.genesee.ny.us. Phone 344-2550, Ext. 2221.

Applications mailed to us must be postmarked with a date no later than the last filing date indicated on this announcement.

All correspondence will be sent only to the address provided on the application for examination. It is your responsibility to inform the Genesee County Human Resources office of any change of address. Correspondence returned for incorrect address will not be forwarded.  All address changes must be submitted to the Genesee County Human Resources office in writing.

 

APPLICANTS: Please contact this office three days prior to examination if you have not been notified by us, as to your eligibility to participate in this examination.

This examination is being prepared and rated by the New York State Department of Civil Service in accordance with Section 23-2 of the Civil Service Law.  The provisions of the New York State Civil Service Rules and Regulations dealing with this rating of the examination will apply to this test.


THE COUNTY OF GENESEE DOES NOT DISCRIMINATE ON THE BASIS OF
AGE, RACE, COLOR, RELIGION, GENDER, CREED, NATIONAL ORIGIN, PHYSICAL OR MENTAL DISABILITY, MARITAL STATUS, VETERANS STATUS, DISABLED VETERANS STATUS, OR STATUS AS A MEMBER OF ANY OTHER PROTECTED GROUP OR ACTIVITY IN ALL ASPECTS OF EMPLOYMENT.