Register O’Donnell Gains First Electoral Challenger in Two Decades

William P. O’Donnell, Register of Deeds for Norfolk County, and Assistant Recorder of the Massachusetts Land Court has served in his elected post since 2004, which also happens to be the last time he faced an opponent. This year, things are different.

According to his web site, current Quincy Councilor At-Large Noel DiBona has officially announced his candidacy to run for Norfolk County Register of Deeds. DiBona has been a Quincy Councilor At-Large since 2016 and served as Council President in 2022 and 2023. DiBona was first elected to the Quincy School Committee in 2013.

DiBona actually worked for O’Donnell for a time, as Director of Administrative Services for a period of three years. DiBona also worked at the Norfolk County Sheriff's Office for four years prior to being an employee of the Registry of Deeds. DiBona was a small business owner for 26 years at Russ DiBona & Son Landscape & Snow.

Prior to his tenure as Register, O’Donnell, who lives in Norwood, served for ten years as an elected County Commissioner for Norfolk County, and as a Trustee of Norfolk County Agricultural High School. He previously served as a member of the Democratic State Committee and the Norwood Planning Board.

A graduate of Boston College Law School, Georgetown University, and Xaverian Brothers High School, O’Donnell was admitted to the Massachusetts Bar in 1985. He served as an Assistant District Attorney for Norfolk County, as well as private practice, which included real estate, conveyancing and related areas. He is active in local and regional bar activities, and has served as an officer of the Norfolk County Bar Association including president. Register O’Donnell has been elected by his fellow Registers of Deeds across the Commonwealth to serve as president of the Massachusetts Registers of Deeds Association.

Why has O’Donnell finally attracted a challenger. In the tangled, tribal, and convoluted politics of Quincy and Norfolk County, a clue may be in DiBona’s explanation for running, posted on his web site:

"I want to bring my public and private sector experience and management skills to the Registry of Deeds. My main objective is to work with attorneys, title examiners and employees to allow the best customer service experience to the users. I pledge to bring modernization and software upgrades to the information technology infrastructure. The goal is the preserve, protect and maintain all deeds and documents. I pledge to work collaboratively with the county commissioners, county director, advisory board and the information technology department to ultimately improve the services to the customers."

O’Donnell has chosen an independent path that has gotten him mired in lawsuits and controversies with the three commissioners that serve as chief executives of the county – and he has also fought, unsuccessfully, to keep a Registry IT department run by his own CIO.