City Clerk's Office - South Bend, Indiana

The City Clerk is the Clerk of the South Bend Common Council. The Clerk is elected by the voters of the entire City. The City Clerk's official functions are set forth in Chapter Thirty-Six (36) of the Indiana Code. The City Clerk, and as many staff members as he or she determines necessary, provides City Council staff support, attends all regular and special meetings of the Council; and is required to keep an accurate journal of all such proceedings.

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Alley Vacation Request

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Parking Ticket Amnesty Day

The Common Council passed Ordinance Number 10471-16, which gives the City Clerk the ability to declare an annual Parking Ticket Amnesty Day, the one day per year when parking ticket (overtime only) late fees will be forgiven, allowing those with unpaid parking tickets to pay the original cost of the ticket only, potentially reducing total costs owed by 50%.

View the ordinance here or learn more about Parking Ticket Amnesty Day.

Clerks Office Communications

In addition to it’s overall mission of maintaining the official records of the City, the Office of the City Clerk also performs the following:

Required to maintain the City Seal and administer City oaths.
Maintains custody, controls filings and storage of all legislation papers, minutes and other written and recorded documents pertaining to the operation of City government.
Oversees the entire legislative process, from the introduction to final approval and publication.
Prepares agendas and legal notices for all Council meetings.
Document compliance of Tax Abatements, CF1s, Annexations, Alley Vacations, and City required reporting per the Municipal Code
Schedules official City Council meetings and public hearings.
Acts as a liaison with City Department Heads, Outside agencies, Other branches of government, and the general public on behalf of the City Council and works closely with the Council to supply combined constituent services.
Responsible for the publication, updating and distribution of the South Bend Code of Ordinances.
Works in cooperation with the Office of the Mayor for live broadcasting through WNIT of City Council meetings.
Processing of City Boards and Commissions.
Responsible for all functions of the City Ordinance Violations Bureau.
Issuance of Conditional Use Lawn Parking Permits (ND Lawn Parking) and Scrap Metal Licenses.
Administers City of South Bend Amnesty Program.
Has available upon request for public reference and distribution the following documents: Copies of all transcripts, legislation, certificates, meeting notices, Council minutes, and any other matters of public information.
Marriage Officiant, Notary

For all groups and presenters who wish to be recognized at the Common Council Meetings please check in with the City Clerk’s Office beforehand.

The City Clerk’s Office does not record or store the following:

Birth Records and Death Records: For information regarding how to obtain these records, contact the St. Joseph County Health Department, Vital Records at 574.235.9750
Marriage Records and Court Records: For information regarding how to obtain these records, contact the St. Joseph County Clerk’s Office at 574.235.9635

Staff

Bianca L. Tirado, Chief Deputy Clerk/Chief of Staff

Bianca Tirado serves as the Chief Deputy Clerk and Chief of Staff for the Clerk’s Office. Bianca serves as the administrative arm of the clerk’s office, working to advance the Clerk’s vision of an open, honest and transparent municipal government by ensuring the preparation and maintenance of records pertaining to the business conducted by Common Council members. She also serves as the fiscal officer and oversees all personnel and Human Resource related activities for the Clerk’s Office and the Common Council.

A Chicago native and raised in South Bend, Bianca graduated from Riley High School before earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in African and African American Diaspora Studies at Indiana University. She currently working on her Masters in Executive Non-Profit Administration at the University of Notre Dame.

Bianca is a class 2 alumna of Hoosier Women Forward and previously served as Honors Advisor and adjunct faculty for the American Honors Program at Ivy Tech Community College. She also served as Assistant Director for the Office of Student Involvement and Multicultural services at Saint Mary’s College where she oversaw diversity and inclusion policies within student affairs.

Rachael E. Coates, Deputy City Clerk/Director of Policy

Rachael E. Coates serves as the Deputy City Clerk and Director of Policy. She oversees the legal processes and document and policy management of the Clerk’s office, including the certification of minutes, advertising, ensuring reports and forms are filed on time. She also manages assignments from the City Clerk and Common Council in order to provide excellent service to the public and various City and County offices.

Rachael was born and raised in South Bend, IN. She played volleyball, basketball, and tennis in High school, went to YWAM Discipleship School in Colorado, traveled the states and overseas for a few years, came back home to further her Higher Education by attending Ancilla and Ivy Tech.

Her two decades of work experience in Ministry and Hospitality Management includes various managerial roles such as: Managing the University of Notre Dame’s Morris Inn Conference Center and most recently working as the Special Projects Coordinator for The Salvation Army Kroc Community Center. Rachael has been involved in serving her community through her local church, helping at various non-profits, and living out her passion for community engagement in some capacity for the last 20 years.

Today she is furthering her studies by attending Indiana Wesleyan University pursuing a degree in Psychology of Human Services/Masters in Social Work and she is a proud mother of a son who attends Holy Cross Junior High School here in South Bend. In her free time, she loves coffee, meaningful conversations, family, and friends, and being out in nature.

Gabriel N. Murei, Ordinance Violations Bureau Clerk

Gabriel serves as the Ordinance Violations Bureau Clerk. He is accountable to the City Clerk for all Ordinance Violation transactions and functions governed under City Municipal and State Code. He also processes and collects payment for tickets issued by all departments and individuals commissioned in the City.

Gabriel Murei earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in History and a minor in Education from Wabash College. During his collegiate experience, Gabriel played soccer for the Wabash College Little Giants and was the President of the African Student Association.

Gabriel is a Kenyan native and moved to the United States when he was 12 years old. He is a proud South Bend Washington Panther class of 2014. During his free time, Gabriel enjoys playing soccer, kayaking, and working out.