For a considerable amount of time, Florida's Clerks have faced serious challenges with how their court-related services are funded. Over the past 5 years, Clerks have partnered with the Legislature on meaningful, yet incremental changes to fill some of the gaps in their funding structure.

There's More to be done to create a sustainable system

These changes are closing in on more stability for Clerks’ budgets, but the model that funds Clerk services and their staff still needs work.

Even with the recent improvements, Clerk budgets are very close to where they were a decade ago – and a lot has changed in that time.

Clerk budgets are still largely dependent on traffic citations, which make up more than a quarter of Clerk budgets.

When fines and fees are collected, Clerks are only authorized to keep 54% and the rest – nearly half – is disbursed elsewhere.

Meanwhile, the statutory fines and fees that affect Clerk revenue do not adjust to those changes, creating an imbalance in how these important services are provided.

Support the let's make it work 2024 Clerk legislative priorities

This year, Clerks are supporting the Let’s Make It Work 2024 Clerk Legislative Priorities to create a more sustainable, long-term solution by:

Diversify Clerk Revenues, further authorizing Clerks to retain more of the funds collected for the services they provide.

Supporting Staffing Needs by providing new mechanisms outside of fines and fees to fund increases in the Florida Retirement System for Court-related employees.

Accounting for Additional Services Without a Funding Source by providing state reimbursement process for domestic violence services and approved civil indigency cases.

For the past decade, Clerks of Court have had to make do , relying on insufficient budgets and unstable revenues.

This year, let's do something different - let's make it work.