Ann Arbor – The Washtenaw County Clerk/Register’s Office was recently named a 2021 Tyler Public Sector Excellence award winner at Tyler Technologies’ annual Connect user conference in April. The County Clerk/Register’s office Vital Records Division was recognized as a winner because of how it demonstrated excellence in deploying Tyler’s eMarriage solution and other technology in innovative and impactful ways to serve the public during the COVID-19 pandemic.
In order to respond to in-person service delivery challenges created by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Washtenaw County Clerk/Register’s Office Vital Records Division launched a ‘Virtual Marriage Appointment’ service in April, 2020.
Couples in need of a marriage license can schedule a virtual appointment at a time of their choosing, submit application materials and required documentation online, meet with Vital Records staff via video conferencing platform, and pay for the marriage license with a credit card.
This solution has helped keep the public and county staff safe during the pandemic and has advanced the Washtenaw County Clerk/Register’s office goal to provide additional online services for the convenience of the public.
To date, more than 700 couples have obtained their marriage license in Washtenaw County using the Virtual Marriage Appointment service.
Washtenaw County Clerk/Register Lawrence Kestenbaum states, “I am proud of the innovative ways we’ve found to provide service to the public while protecting the health of customers and staff. This is an example of our commitment to making government services accessible, safe and convenient.”
The service can be accessed online at Washtenaw.org/VitalRecords.
Tyler Technologies’ Excellence Award submissions were evaluated by a diverse panel of Tyler leadership and were judged on the following criteria:
- Organizational efficiency and productivity
- Organizational responsiveness to employees, vendors, or citizens
- Business value
- Innovation in using Tyler applications or services in unique ways
- Relevance to other organizations using Tyler solutions
- COVID-19 response in handling transitions, changes, and/or other effects from the pandemic
Tyler Excellence Award winners were honored during the virtual Connect conference, where they were recognized in front of more than 5,000 of their public sector peers.
The Washtenaw County Clerk/Register’s office serves as a repository for vital and land records, administers federal, state, and local elections, processes Concealed Pistol License applications, business name registrations, and operates the Washtenaw County ID Card and veteran’s ID card programs. For more information visit Washtenaw.org/ClerkROD.
