Revenue changes for Court Clerks proposed to close funding gap
State lawmakers are again proposing changes to address the funding woes of Court Clerks whose yearly budgets have barely budged in the last decade.
Republican Sen. Travis Hutson and Rep. Adam Botana are carrying bills this year (SB 1130, HB 977) to diversify the revenues of Florida’s Clerk Offices.
Clerk Offices — there is one for each county — operate on a cash basis month-to-month and primarily rely on fines and fees to fund critical public services. They receive no apportionment in the state budget.
The bills would do three main things:
— Allow Clerks to retain more of the money they collect for localized services.
— Establish a state funding mechanism to cover annual increases to employe...
