Two running for Lebanon County Recorder of Deeds
Les Stewart
A veteran Lebanon County row officer and a first-time political candidate are running for Lebanon County Recorder of Deeds in Tuesday's general election.
Republican Donna Lutz is seeking a fifth four-year term as Recorder of Deeds. Lutz of Myerstown is being challenged by Democrat Michael Deitz of North Lebanon Township, who is making his first run at elective office. Deitz got on the November ballot by way of 140 write-in votes he received in the spring primary. No Democrat appeared on the May ballot.
The office is in charge of filing records related to real estate, including deeds, mortgages and rights-of-way, as well as recording bonds and commissions for notaries and elected officials.
Since taking office, Lutz has worked to upgrade the office's technology by implementing electronic recording of land record documents and making them available online.
If re-elected, the 64-year-old Lutz said she plans to put deed books dating from 1813 to 1933 on the office's computers and the remote site www.landex.com. The old deed books are brittle, making them difficult for her staff to handle, she said. Those images are now available from 1945 to the present, she said.
"All this history is being preserved," Lutz said.
The 37-year-old Deitz has been employed at Pennsylvania Precision Cast Parts in Lebanon for the past 13 years. He also sells custom sports uniforms for football, basketball and baseball through Defender Sports in Delaware.
A native of Lebanon County, he is a 1996 graduate of Lebanon High School.
Deitz said he is running for the row office to give voters an option.
"Everyone should have a chance to choose," he said.