Craig Olive, Johnston County Register of Deeds, formally announces his intentions today (Tuesday) to seek another term in office. Olive, a 52 year old native of Johnston County, was first elected to the post in 2002 and has continuously served as Registrar since that time. “It is my desire to continue to serve the fine citizens of our county. I feel honored to fulfill a life-long dream of serving the public and will continue to hold this position in high regard,” states Mr. Olive.
On Olive’s watch, he has streamlined services in the office to cut the office’s budget by 30 percent and returned $2.1 million in unused funds to the county during the past 15 years.
Olive is well known for offering great customer service to his constituents and all who enter his office. In addition, he brought advanced technology to the office. His work is well known on both the state and national levels.
During the past few years, Olive’s office has received National awards for providing users with access to digitized land and vital records dating from 1746, allowing for easier access of historical records. Recently, Olive had 69 vital records books restored for generations to come.
Olive also embraced electronically recording documents. This is a much easier, quicker and cost effective solution for both the attorneys involved and the people whose documents are being recorded. His office was the first in the nation to accept a plat map electronically and the first in the state to follow the guidelines put forth by NC Secretary of State for accepting land records electronically.
Recently, Olive implemented the Thank-A-Vet Program to help veterans of Johnston County by providing them with an ID card that allows them to obtain discounts from various merchants within the county. An added benefit of this program is that it allows for better safe-keeping of veterans’ DD-214, their military discharge papers.
Also, he facilitated the process of the Johnston County Register of Deeds office being recognized as a US Passport Acceptance Agency. This makes it much easier for county residents to obtain passports. While this is convenient to the citizens of the county, it has also added revenue to the county. Since the interception of the program, nearly $250,000 has been added to the general fund of the county.
Olive states, “I am pleased to be able to provide the passport service to the citizens, while at the same time, putting the money derived from the required fees back into the county. My hope is that the revenue generated from processing passports applications will help to offset the need for future tax increases.”
Craig is the son of the late James C. and Pearl T. Olive and is a resident of Clayton. He is a member of Little Creek Primitive Baptist Church in Clayton. Previously, he served as a deacon and church clerk. He also serves as the moderator of the Little River Primitive Baptist Association. Olive also serves on the North Carolina Funeral Service Board and is the former secretary of the Board. He has also served on the board of Trustees at Johnston Community College. Olive also has been involved in numerous community service organizations and older adults have a special place in his heart.
