Probate Judge Earlean Isaac (seated) and Chief Clerk Stella Jones are checking the most recent monthly reports to make sure disbursements match collections.

Greene County Probate Judge Earlean Isaac has worked in the Probate Office for the past 40 years, 18 years as a clerk and 22 years as Probate Judge.
She said she will definitely run for reelection at least one more time – in 2012, which would be her 7th term of office.
Since Isaac has been handling the books, the Probate Office has never had a bad audit. Their most recent audit for FY 2009 was what is called “a good clean audit.”
“This means that we are doing our job,” said Isaac. “I have to make sure we are collecting more than we are paying out; that bank deposits are made on a daily basis; that all bank statements are reconciled on a monthly basis; that we keep a record of all returned checks and pursue collecting them.
“If a person comes in and gives us a bad check to purchase a tag, we make every effort to collect on that check before we turn it over to the Worthless Check Unit. Eventually we have to turn them over because outstanding worthless checks make the funds short on our report,” said Isaac.
According to Isaac, she and her employees do make errors. “Handling as much as we handle on a daily basis, we are bound to make errors,” she said. “However, one of our pluses is that we are able to track our money through our receipts and any error is caught before it can cause a problem.”
The Probate Judge handles mortgages, deeds, marriages, automobile tags, etc.
They all handle judicial matters as probating wills, adoptions, Letters of Administration, mental commitments and fiduciary funds which are monies put on hold by the court to be distributed to minors or unknown heirs. Mostly these funds originate from deceased relatives or from law suits pertaining to accidents.
“I can’t take all of the credit for the smooth running of this office,” said Isaac. “I have a very dedicated and hardworking staff and we all work together to make sure this office is operated in such as way as to benefit the citizens of Greene County.”