Designating a County Records Officer: Start-to-Finish Playbook

The Problem: Why This Matters Now

Your county faces regulatory compliance obligations under state records laws, but responsibility is fragmented across elected officials who each run their own retention programs. This creates audit risk, inconsistent disposition practices, and duplicated effort. When an open records request arrives, you're coordinating with multiple offices that may use different retention schedules or none at all.

The solution isn't more training for elected officials. It's centralizing program administration through a Countywide Records Management Officer (CW RMO) who runs a unified retention program that elected offices can opt into. Without this role formally established, your county operates without a single point of accountability for records compliance.

What You Need Before Starting

Authority and buy-in:

• Commissioner's Court approval to designate the CW RMO position
• At least one elected official willing to opt in (demonstrates value to others)
• Budget allocation if you're hiring someone new rather than assigning an existing county employee

Documentation ready:

• Blank SLR 504 (RMO Designation form)
• Blank SLR 508 (Declaration of Compliance)
• Records Management Policy template
• Current organizational chart showing all elected offices

Technical foundation:

• Inventory of where county records currently live (file servers, paper storage, email systems)
• List of record series your county creates (start with common ones: payroll, contracts, meeting minutes)
• Contact information for your assigned TSLAC analyst

Decision made: Who will serve as CW RMO? Your options: an elected county official like the County Judge or County Clerk, an unelected county office holder, or someone hired specifically for this position. Each choice has implications. An elected official brings political authority but may lack time. A dedicated hire brings focus but needs budget approval.

Step-by-Step Implementation

Phase 1: Formal Designation (Week 1-2)

Step 1: Commissioner's Court passes an order designating your chosen individual as CW RMO. Document this in meeting minutes.

Step 2: Complete SLR 504 (RMO Designation). Fill in:

• County name
• CW RMO name and title
• Effective date of designation
• Signature of Commissioner's Court representative

Step 3: Complete SLR 508 (Declaration of Compliance). This certifies your county has established a records management program.

Step 4: Draft your Records Management Policy using the template. At minimum, it must:

• Name the CW RMO
• State that the county follows applicable state retention schedules
• Outline how elected officials can opt in
• Describe the records liaison structure (if you'll assign liaisons in each department)

Step 5: Submit all three documents to your TSLAC analyst. Don't wait for perfection. Your analyst will review and request revisions if needed.

Phase 2: Program Infrastructure (Week 3-6)

Step 6: The CW RMO schedules one-on-one meetings with each elected official. Agenda:

• Explain what the countywide program offers (centralized retention guidance, disposition coordination, audit support)
• Show them SLR 512 (Records Management Policy and Declaration of Compliance for elected offices)
• Ask which record series they create and where those records live
• Don't push for immediate opt-in; this is relationship-building

Step 7: Build your retention schedule foundation. Start with:

• County general schedules that apply to administrative records (HR files, financial records, IT logs)
• Office-specific schedules for high-volume series (court records, property records, vital statistics)
• Map each series to its retention period and disposition authority

Step 8: Set up a tracking system for opted-in offices. You need to know:

• Which elected officials have filed SLR 512 designating you as their RMO
• What record series each office creates
• When those series reach cutoff and become eligible for disposition

A spreadsheet works initially. Track: Office name, opt-in date, primary record series, next scheduled disposition review.

Phase 3: Elected Official Opt-In (Ongoing)

Step 9: When an elected official decides to opt in, walk them through SLR 512. They'll choose option two, which designates the CW RMO. This form requires:

• Their signature
• The CW RMO's name and title
• The CW RMO's signature confirming acceptance

Step 10: File the completed SLR 512 with TSLAC and keep a copy in your program files.

Step 11: Conduct a records inventory for that office. Document:

• Active record series and volumes
• Storage locations (network drives, filing cabinets, offsite storage)
• Current retention practices (even if informal)
• Gaps where records should exist but don't

Phase 4: Operational Program (Month 2-3)

Step 12: Establish a disposition calendar. For each opted-in office, schedule quarterly reviews of record series approaching their retention cutoff.

Step 13: Create standard operating procedures for:

• How offices request disposition authorization
• Who physically destroys records (shredding vendor, IT department, office staff)
• How you document completed dispositions
• What happens when a Records Freeze is issued

Step 14: Set up a liaison network if your county is large enough. Designate one person in each opted-in office as the records contact. They're not RMOs, but they coordinate day-to-day retention questions with the CW RMO.

Validation: How to Verify It Works

Check 1: Pull your TSLAC submission confirmations. You should have acknowledgment emails for SLR 504, SLR 508, and your Records Management Policy.

Check 2: Review your opted-in offices list. Can you name which elected officials have filed SLR 512? If you have zero opt-ins after three months, schedule follow-up meetings to address concerns.

Check 3: Test your disposition process. Pick one low-risk record series that's past retention and eligible for destruction. Walk through your full workflow: identify eligible records, get authorization, document destruction, update your tracking system. If any step breaks, fix it before you scale up.

Check 4: Conduct a spot audit. Pick one opted-in office and verify:

• They're following the retention schedule you provided
• Records aren't being destroyed early or kept indefinitely
• Your tracking system matches their actual holdings

Check 5: Confirm your TSLAC analyst has your current contact information and knows who the CW RMO is. Email them a program status update. They should respond and may offer guidance.

Maintenance and Ongoing Tasks

Monthly: Review your disposition calendar and send reminders to offices with upcoming cutoff dates.

Quarterly: Meet with your records liaisons (if you have them) to address questions, update retention guidance, and identify new record series.

Annually:

• Update your Records Management Policy if your program structure changed
• Resubmit SLR 504 if the CW RMO position changed hands
• Conduct refresher training for opted-in offices on retention requirements
• Reach out to elected officials who haven't opted in yet

As needed:

• When a new elected official takes office, schedule an introductory meeting within their first 60 days
• When state retention schedules are updated, notify all opted-in offices of changes that affect their record series
• When you implement new technology (document management systems, email Accessioning), update your Records Management Policy to reflect how those systems support retention compliance

Red flags that require immediate attention:

• An elected official opts out after previously opting in (understand why and address the root cause)
• Records are destroyed without your authorization
• You discover a record series with no assigned retention schedule
• An open records request reveals retention inconsistencies across offices

Your county's TSLAC analyst is your ongoing resource. When you hit a situation this playbook doesn't cover, contact them before making a decision that could create compliance risk.