Norfolk County Register Raises Question of Abolishing County Government

It has been said, perhaps unfairly, that the only thing in Norfolk County that isn't crooked is its southern boundary, which is the old boundary between the Massachusetts Bay and Plymouth Colonies.

In a letter to the public, framing one part of an ongoing turf and spending battle between the Norfolk Registry of Deeds and the county's three ruling Commissioners, Bill O'Donnell 'goes nuclear' in his closing notes, asking whether the time has come to abolish Norfolk County government.  It's by no means a far-fetched idea. Indeed, according to Wikipedia, "Massachusetts shares with the five other New England states a governmental structure known as the New England town. Only the southeastern third of the state has functioning county governments; in western, central, and northeastern Massachusetts, traditional county-level government was eliminated in the late 1990s."

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Dear Norfolk County resident,

Re: Poor Norfolk County Decision Making

The three (3) elected Norfolk County Commissioners and County Director John J. Cronin completely closed the Registry’s Disaster Recovery Office that has been located in Dedham since 2011 and decided to open “County” Disaster Recovery office in Walpole. The problem is that County Director John J. Cronin did NOT get an occupancy permit from the Town of Walpole to do this even though he and the Norfolk County Commissioners – Joseph P. Shea of Quincy, Peter H. Collins of Milton and Richard R. Staiti of Canton closed the Registry’s Disaster Recovery Office in Dedham in June of 2025.

Not having an occupancy permit means there is no operational Registry Disaster Recovery office. This jeopardizes the operations of the Registry of Deeds and the legal land documents that give you title to your homes and properties. The incompetence in executing this plan by County Director John J. Cronin and those he supervises means the Norfolk County Registry of Deeds which has had a Register Disaster Recovery office located in Dedham that was 100% dedicated to protecting Registry operations and services does NOT HAVE ANY disaster recovery office at this time. It is an example of incompetence that in this era of cybersecurity risks and scams that for the first time since 2011 there is not a Registry Satellite and Disaster Recovery office. For 15 years there was such an office and since June of 2025 there is not a functioning Satellite Disaster Recovery Office due to the poor decision making and unsound management of County Director John J. Cronin and the three (3) elected Norfolk County Commissioners’ that he reports to.

The Walpole Building Commissioner wrote that relative to Norfolk County that they were “…..informed they will need to be AAB Compliant, file for a new Certificate of Occupancy as there is a new use going into the building.” AAB Compliant means Norfolk County did not comply with making this renovated smoking lounge on the second floor of a dated school building accessible to all. Those with disabilities should have access to all public buildings including the services provided by the Registry of Deeds. I wrote to the Norfolk County Commissioners and County Director John J. Cronin on June 18, 2025 before County Director John J. Cronin announced on June 25, 2025 that “the disaster recovery room at the Agricultural High School is ready for occupation.” See the open session minutes of the Norfolk County Commissioners. This statement was obviously untrue given there was no occupancy permit received from the Town of Walpole. In my letter of June 18, 2025 to County Director John J. Cronin and the three (3) County Commissioners I wrote the following:

Please note the current Registry Disaster Recovery office down the street from the Norfolk Registry of Deeds is very accessible. This was done because any Disaster Recovery office must be open to the public in order to conduct Registry recordings and services. Upon inspection of the Walpole County Disaster Recovery office on the second floor of a dated school building it appears the entrance door with the paper Norfolk Registry of Deeds sign attached is NOT handicapped accessible. The Dedham Registry of Deeds Disaster Recovery Office which is being eliminated certainly has more visibility, signage and accessibility to the public including handicap accessibility than what is currently proposed at the Walpole County office. The “new County Disaster Recovery office” in Walpole should have handicap accessibility and comply with all state, federal and local laws.

This is not the first time Norfolk County Director John J. Cronin and the three (3) elected Norfolk County Commissioners, two of them are attorneys, have violated state law. A number of state courts including the highest state court in Massachusetts, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, have ruled that Norfolk County Director John J. Cronin and the three (3) Norfolk County Commissioners have broken and violated state laws. The cities and towns of Norfolk County as well as the taxpayers PAY for this Norfolk County Government. The taxpayers deserve better. Is it time for the residents and communities that make up Norfolk County to rethink and possibly abolish County Government here in Norfolk County?

Sincerely yours,

William P. O’Donnell

Norfolk County Register of Deeds