CLERKS SAY THEY DON’T HAVE THE CASH TO CARRY OUT

ALL THEIR DUTIES

Clerks have eliminated 1,250 positions statewide (Florida)

By: GARY BLANKENSHIP (in the November 1, 2009) edition of The

Florida Bar News

With some of their fees reassigned to the courts, and additional budget
cuts mandated above that, Florida’s clerks of courts no longer have enough
money to carry out all of their court-related duties. The funding reductions
have caused clerks to cut their payrolls by 1,250 positions, and many of their
remaining employees are having unpaid furloughs. That was part of the grim
message that the Florida Association of Court Clerks and Comptrollers
brought to two Senate committees last month.
“All clerks have a hiring freeze, 62 [of the 67] clerks have a salary
freeze. 3,475 employees have furloughs, and 31 counties have closed branch
operations.” Overall, clerks’ budgets were reduced over $90 million last year
to around $451 million.