WASHINGTON — Hit hard by the economy, governments large and small are awash in red ink, and the town of Ferndale is no exception. Among the measures being taken to balance its $452,000 budget; the town has decided to eliminate Notary services.
Passport application services also were cut and four employees have been laid off in this town of 10,800 residents in the northwest corner of the state, said Mayor Gary Jensen, who also ordered City Hall closed at noon on Fridays.
The decision to cut Notary services is in contrast to a trend by public and private entities to promote notarizations as a way to bring clients in as well as provide better service. Public libraries from Milledgeville, Georgia, to Murrieta, California, are encouraging people to take advantage of the Notary services they offer. And the Pen Air Federal Credit Union in Pensacola, Florida, is advertising a slew of non-financial services, including notarizations to entice customers.