Dauphin County, PA Register of Wills & Clerk of the Orphans' Court Recognized by Governor with Excellence Award

News provided by

Apr 19, 2022, 09:00 ET

The Governor's Award for Local Government Excellence for Information Technology was given to Dauphin County for their innovative online programs that have improved the lives of citizens and county employees

AUSTIN, Texas, April 19, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Dauphin County today announced that Jean Marfizo King, Register of Wills and Clerk of the Orphan's Court has been awarded the 2022 Governor's Award for Local Government Excellence for Information Technology. The award recognizes the efforts of Marfizo King and her team to digitize the county's eProbate, Remote Marriage License, and eFiling systems. These virtual services, powered by GovOS, a leading provider of solutions for digital governments, continue to improve the quality of life for citizens and employees in the county, making it easier for everyone to access and use these online civic services.

Each year, the Pennsylvania Center for Local Government Services honors local government officials for their commitment to providing innovative solutions that improve public services for the community. Marfizo King's office was nominated for the award in two categories, both related to the development, implementation and continued success of the cloud-based virtual services for marriage licensing, eProbate and e-filing.

"I'm honored to receive this award and to see the office recognized for undertaking these innovative initiatives," said Marfizo King. "The priority is always the community and finding ways to enrich engagement with the citizens of Dauphin County. The virtual services we now offer with the help of GovOS have allowed us to do just that. The public can apply for a marriage license, probate an estate, or e-file legal documents with 24/7/365 worldwide access. It's no longer necessary to visit the courthouse in person to complete one of these processes, and providing a better, more efficient experience was always the objective."

As of March 2022, more than 2,100 marriage license applications have been submitted online using the virtual system. The county reports that 90% of all marriage license applications and 86% of all estates probated are now completed virtually. The Register of Wills and Clerk of the Orphans' Court also offers online docket searches for public records dating from the late 1700s to the present.

"We are very happy for Jean and her team and applaud the effort they have put into building and launching these online civic services for Dauphin County," said Joy Johnson, VP of Strategic Initiatives for GovOS. "We're honored that GovOS was chosen to design and implement these award-winning applications. We believe that these customer-focused applications can serve as a model for digital governments throughout Pennsylvania and across the United States. We can't wait to see what Jean and her team decide to digitize next as they continue to find opportunities to best serve their constituents and Dauphin County."

While virtual services were initially instituted at the onset of the pandemic to reduce in-person interactions, they have proven to be an effective means of utilizing technology to increase access to vital services and better accommodate the daily lives of citizens in Dauphin County.

Applications for virtual services available through the Register of Wills & Clerk of the Orphans' Court can be found at dauphincounty.org/wills. To learn more about these processes, additional information is available at the following links.