You have probably heard about the constitutional amendment that will appear on the ballot Nov. 3 regarding school taxes, but there’s another proposed amendment that would complete a task that was done for all practical purposes 15 years ago.
Ballot question No. 1 would eliminate the job of elected register of probate, even though it was effectively eliminated in 2011.
For many decades, the register of probate in each town or city oversaw the collection and keeping of records about property ownership as well as helping people figure out the filing of wills, trusts and estates and name changes. Its duties were moved by the Legislature to circuit court clerks in 2011 but the job, which pays $100 a year, stayed on ballots because its inclusion is required in the state constitution.
The ballot question Tuesday would remove it from the constitution and thus from future ballots, as long as two-thirds of voters statewide approve.
If this sounds vaguely familiar, that’s because the issue was on the ballot in 2022, when it received 62.9% approval, just short of the 66.67% needed to pass. Opposition apparently was due to uncertainty about the effect of the confusingly-worded amendment. This year’s question wording is plainer, starting with “Are you in favor of eliminating the office of register of probate.”
