FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Hard Numbers, Hard Facts for Karen Stukel
When we say that current Will County Recorder of Deeds Karen Stukel is squandering taxpayers’ money with two no-bid software contracts in six years, just how much money are we talking about?
In 2010 Stukel contracted for a new software system from Aptitude Solutions for $430,000. Although the system was never operational, the Recorder’s office paid $360,000. The Recorder’s office also paid for staff training and new equipment to support the Aptitude product which then was never used.
When Aptitude Solutions could not make the system work, Stukel broke her contract with them. Aptitude did return $295,000 of the $360,000, but the money and time spent to train the employees to use the new system, the money spent for equipment and lawyers’ fees is gone forever; the total loss incurred for this non-operational, non-usable system was $100,000.
Then in 2014 Stukel executed another no-bid contract for software, this time with Fidlar Technologies. The first 21 months of using Fidlar’s product has cost taxpayers $488,000. To put that in perspective, consider that the system custom-built for the Will County Recorder of Deeds office in 2008 cost only $237,000 the first year and just $40,000 a year for maintenance after that.
Stukel knew that the Fidlar product and service would be much more costly; that’s why she asked the Will County Board in the fall of 2014 to allow her to raise recording fees, which she did. Stukel does not care how much taxpayer money she throws away, and now she wants a third term as Recorder. Good government is not run this way. This is another reason we should fire Karen Stukel in November.
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Contact: Kristin Cross for Recorder of Deeds Campaign
crossforrecorder@gmail.com
815-409-1961
