Lake County News’ interview article on the assessor-recorder’s race was very interesting. I would like to have some input regarding a statement made by Mr. Ford, the incumbent assessor-recorder.

He stated "he believed he'd had a good relationship with real estate agents and has tried to keep them as abreast of the information as possible.” I was a committee member for a task force that was formed to represent local real estate brokers/agents in 2019 to try to get some answers that we needed. We wanted to know 1) How much longer they were going to be closed on Fridays; and 2) Can they implement electronic recording?

We were intending to inform the real estate community with updates which were desperately needed. We truly were trying to advocate for new homeowners. When the issue of "Friday closure" was on the agenda, we required answers from a public official. We asked those questions at a Board of Supervisors meeting. The answers never came. A later meeting was scheduled and then canceled the day before by Mr. Ford. It's not wrong to ask questions. It's wrong to not answer those questions.

When you've moved out and have your family and whole life packed up, patiently waiting for the official recording to move into your new home, the last thing you want to hear is we can't record until Monday due to the Lake County Recorder's Office being closed. This was not only detrimental to our industry, but to every new homeowner and family that had to bear the extra financial burden of not being able to close on Friday.

I understand that this is an old issue, but it speaks volumes as to the lack of communication.

I am voting for Hannah Lee on June 7 to be the next Lake County assessor-recorder, with the belief that she is the change we need for our community.

Heidi Johnson lives in Kelseyville, California.