Kay Pesnell’s counting on her 13 years of work in the Douglas County Register of Deeds’ Office to keep her on the job for at least another four.

Pesnell, the county’s register of deeds, is running for election to the post she has held since July 2002, when she was promoted from deputy register of deeds following Sue Neustifter’s retirement.

“I’m excited. This will be a new adventure,” said Pesnell, who has never run for elective office. “This job is stimulating and challenging as well. I’d like to keep it for a few more years.”

Pesnell, 56, filed Friday as a Democratic candidate for register of deeds. If needed, Republican and Democratic primaries will be conducted Aug. 3; the general election is Nov. 2.

The register of deeds is responsible for maintaining records related to every piece of real estate in the county. The register’s employees record mortgage documents, file utility easements, track powers of attorney and other matters tied to each property. Title companies, banks and others then review the register’s documents before signing off on mortgages and sales of properties.

Earlier this month the county already had collected $2.88 million in taxes on mortgage registrations — the county charges 26 cents for every $100 of a mortgage’s value — to top the county’s previous record by more than $340,000.

“It’s an awesome job,” Pesnell said.

Pesnell is finishing the unexpired four-year term of Neustifter, who had been elected to the office nine times in her 43-year career. Pesnell has worked in the office since starting as a recording clerk in 1990, and spent nearly two years as deputy before Neustifter recommended Pesnell to the county’s Democratic Central Committee, which approved her to be Neustifter’s replacement.

The job pays Pesnell $52,790 a year. She oversees seven employees and an operating budget of $210,207 for next year.

If elected, Pesnell said she would continue her push to update the office’s technology. She already is reorganizing the office’s books to be stored in alphabetical order by subdivision, a move intended to make records easier to find for customers and employees alike.

A $5,000 software upgrade, scheduled for next year, also should speed the process, she said.

The push to remain a service-oriented office is Pesnell’s top priority, an emphasis that carries through every task performed on the third floor of the county courthouse.

Even job candidates need to pass muster in penmanship.

“We make sure their printing is legible,” Pesnell said. “Things that are put in our books will be there for years, so it has to be.”