Florida's court clerks spared in budget

TALLAHASSEE | A panel of lawmakers agreed Thursday to let Florida?s court clerks spend an additional $29.5 million to avoid layoffs and service reductions due to state budget cuts.

The Legislative Budget Commission unanimously approved Gov. Rick Scott?s request to let the 67 clerks, one for each county, tap additional fee and fine collections that have increased from the passage of a new law.

?This action will allow the clerks to return to normal business hours and allow us to serve our communities, our people, our businesses, the courts in the way they have a right to expect,? Leon County Clerk of Courts Bob Inzer told the commission.

Without the additional money, the clerks were facing the prospect of laying off hundreds of employees, closing branch offices and cutting office hours.

Inzer said some clerks have gone through the layoff process and now will be recalling those workers or hiring replacements. He was unsure, though, how many employees may have been affected.

?Other clerks have been making other budget changes in hopes that there would be some budget relief that was forthcoming, so you?d probably find 67 different answers to that,? Inzer said.

The commission also approved accepting nearly $2.3 million in federal funds for the Florida National Guard to help provide security for the Republican National Convention in Tampa.

The total includes $1.29 million that Tampa has offered the National Guard from federal funds allocated to the city for convention security. The remaining $1 million is a direct allocation to Florida from the Defense Department.

Source: http://m.jacksonville.com/news/2012-08-17/story/floridas-court-clerks-spared-budget

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