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Home My WebLink AboutFY2026 0 OOURr O O UJ Tw Ole OO MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA CLERK OF THE CIRCUIT COURT & COMPTROLLER PROPOSED BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 2026 Presented by: Kevin Madok, CPA Ex-Officio to the Board of County Commissioners Submitted: May 28, 2025 Y GOURr, M CUIp� % Kevin a ok, cPA ........ Clerk of the Circuit Court&.Comptroller—Monroe County, Florida ROB.00 May 28, 2025 Mayor Jim Scholl Members of the Board of County Commissioners 530 Whitehead Street, Suite 102 Key West, FL 33040 Dear Mayor and Commissioners: Enclosed is the Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 budget request for the Monroe County Clerk of the Circuit Court &Comptroller. This budget request is for both the non-court activities of the Clerk's Office and for certain court-related costs. Specifically, we are requesting the Board fund court-related costs including court- related costs that are required to be funded by the County under Section 29.008, F.S. (e.g., telephones, equipment, and information system costs). Table 1 on page 4 of the enclosed budget proposal details the increase in our FY 2026 proposed operating budget. The requested funding level includes a 5% wage adjustment for both court and non-court Clerk employees. This adjustment was influenced by the County's other constitutional officers' stated intention of providing similar pay adjustments to their employees for FY 2026. We set our pay adjustments at the same level to be competitive in attracting qualified employees as well as retaining our current employees. In addition, we adjusted the funding for fringe benefits due to an overestimate from the prior year related to employer contributions for the retirement and health insurance. Retirement contributions are legislatively mandated and the employer share of health insurance are set by the County. Both of these fringe benefits are outside of the Clerk's control. Section 28.36, F.S., requires that I submit budgets for court-related functions to the Clerk of Court Operations Corporation (CCOC). My Office will be working with the CCOC and the other clerks throughout the State to deliberate and finalize our budget request for inclusion in the CCOC budget that must be presented to the Legislative Budget Commission no later than August I". Typically I will not know my actual state budget appropriation until early October. Once our state budget is finalized, it will be made available to the BOCC as well as the public. I welcome any questions or comments you may have. Kevin Madok, CPA Clerk of the Circuit Court & Comptroller Ex-officio Clerk to the Board of County Commissioners Cc: County Administrator Clerk's Finance Department KEY WEST MARATHON PLANTATION KEY 500 Whitehead Street 3117 Overseas Highway 88770 Overseas Highway Key West, Florida 33040 Marathon, Florida 33050 Plantation Key, Florida 33070 MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA CLERK OF THE CIRCUIT COURT & COMPTROLLER Table of Contents Proposed Operational Budget For Fiscal Year 2026 Introduction.............................................................................................................................................2 OrganizationChart..................................................................................................................................2 Functionand Funding.............................................................................................................................. 3 OperationalBudget Comparison.................................................................................................5 Non-Court Departments' Annual Operating Budgets ..............................................................6 Clerk To BOCC-Finance and Administration......................................................................................... 6 InternalAudit........................................................................................................................................ 12 Clerk Information Technology.............................................................................................................. 14 Recording.............................................................................................................................................. 17 RecordsManagement............................................................................................................................ 19 Court-Related Clerk Functions .................................................................................................21 County-Funded Clerk of Court Operations........................................................................................... 21 Summary of Clerk Full-Time Equivalent Positions..............................................................................23 OtherClerk Funding Sources....................................................................................................24 Public Records Modernization Trust Fund........................................................................................... 24 i MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA CLERK OF THE CIRCUIT COURT & COMPTROLLER INTRODUCTION ORGANIZATION CHART MONROE COUNTY CITIZENS CLERK OF THE CIRCUIT COURT & COMPTROLLER INTERNAL AUDIT ADMINISTRATIVE CLERK TO BOCC CIRCUIT COURTS COUNTY COURTS SUPPORT Administration Administration Criminal Criminal Jury Management Finance Civil Civil Records Value Adjustment Family Traffic m ManageentI E Board Juvenile Recording Probate Information Systems 2 MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA CLERK OF THE CIRCUIT COURT & COMPTROLLER FUNCTIONS AND FUNDING The functions of the Monroe County Clerk of Circuit Court and Comptroller (the Clerk's Office) are governed by the Florida Constitution, by acts of the Florida Legislature, and by order of the Court. Specifically,the functions of the Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller shall be: Clerk of the Circuit Court, Clerk of the County Court, County Comptroller/Treasurer, County Auditor, County Recorder, and Secretary/Ex-officio Clerk to the Board of County Commissioners(BOCC). The Clerk's Office has a bifurcated funding structure for its court-related activity. Florida Statutes identifies which court-related costs are the responsibility of the County versus which court-related costs must be funded by the State through court fines, fees, and service charges. The budgets of the Clerk of the Circuit Court and County Court for court-related functions are contained in the Clerk's Court-Related Fund and the Clerk's Modernization Trust Fund. The BOCC annually appropriates tax dollars to fund the Clerk's activity that supports the BOCC. The budget for the Clerk's BOCC activity is accounted for in the Clerk's General Fund. State Funding Florida Statute Sections 28.35 and 28.36 established the Florida Clerks of Court Operations Corporation (CCOC) to review, certify, and recommend proposed state funding for each of Florida's 67 Clerks of Circuit Court. The CCOC works directly with all Clerks to develop a statewide budget that is submitted annually to the Legislative Budget Commission by August lst Final determination of Clerks' fiscal year state funding usually is not known until early October. County Funding County funding to the Clerk's Office is primarily from the County's General Revenue appropriation. The County provides funding to support the Clerk's work as the County's Comptroller/Treasurer, County Auditor, County Recorder, and Secretary/Ex-officio Clerk to the BOCC. The Clerk's Office also receives some funding from the Tourist Development Council (TDC) to support the Clerk's processing of the TDC's vendor payments. In addition, the County funds certain court-related costs as specified by statute — namely telephones, equipment, and information system costs. For the last number of fiscal years, the BOCC has also provided much needed financial support to the Clerk's Office by appropriating funds for insurance costs and cost-of-living adjustments (COLA) for both non-court and court-related Clerk staff. The Clerk's Office uses this county appropriation only if court-related revenues are not sufficient to cover these operating costs. The Clerk's Office returns any unspent funds to the County through excess fees at fiscal year-end. The Clerk's Office will continue to expend all available state funding appropriated to Monroe County before using county funding to support court-related operations. 3 MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA CLERK OF THE CIRCUIT COURT & COMPTROLLER As shown in Table 1, the increase in our FY 2026 proposed General Fund operating budget includes a pay adjustment for Clerk employees. In addition, we adjusted our request for funding for fringe benefits downwards due to overestimating prior year fringe benefit costs. These fringe benefit costs are related to employer contributions for retirement and health insurance. Finally, based on current year revenue collections, we are projecting non-court revenue to be reduced by $100,000 during FY 2026 which impacts our funding request. Table I uuuninai-v of Changes to FY 2026 Open-ating Budget Detail Clianges Made T Budgel:, Amount Adjustment due to, annual pay increases, 617. 00 Adjustment due to,Deer-e;stirnating fringe benefits in prior year (244_200) Fundting for uprlatir g°°upgrading IT iritrastract e: improve csprbea scc.urit!' measures: update; aging sen7ers and net%vork_ upgrade setfbvare applications - and lic.enscs. scanning paper files Change in non-court revenue projections, 100.,000 Taal $ 73,,6e00 As always, the Clerk's Office will make every effort to be prudent with General Fund monies to maximize the Office's unspent appropriations which are typically returned to the County at fiscal year-end as excess fees. 4 MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA CLERK OF THE CIRCUIT COURT & COMPTROLLER OPERATIONAL BUDGET COMPARISON FISCAL YEAR 2026 FY2026 FY2025 Proposed Proposed Approved Increase Budget Budget (Decrease) Non-Court Clerk Functions Administration $ 1,040,100 $ 1,042,300 $ (2,200) Clerk to BOCC 3,830,000 4,051,700 (221,700) Internal Audit 721,500 716,300 5,200 Information Technology 1,775,800 1,518,100 257,700 Recording 818,100 465,300 352,800 Records Management 50,000 50,000 - Total Non-Court Clerk Functions: 8,235,500 7,843,700 391,800 Court-Related Clerk Functions Court Related Salary Adjustments 1,743,500 1,497,100 246,400 Court Related Insurance 1,065,200 1,336,400 (271,200) County Obligation per Statute 268,815 268,815 - Total Court-Related Clerk Functions: 3,077,515 3,102,315 (24,800) Total Clerk Function Expenditures 11,313,015 10,946,015 367,000 Less Non-Court Fees and Other Revenues (800,000) (900,000) 100,000 General Revenue Funding 10,513,015 10,046,015 467,000 TDC Functions Clerk Functions funded by TDC Revenues 107,700 101,100 6,600 Total Clerk Related TDC Functions: 107,700 101,100 6,600 Funded by General Fund and TDC Revenue $ 10,620,715 $ 10,147,115 $ 473,600 5 MONROE COUNTY,FLORIDA CLERK OF THE CIRCUIT COURT& COMPTROLLER NON-COURT DEPARTMENTS' ANNUAL OPERATING BUDGETS CLERK TO BOCC- FINANCE AND ADMINISTRATION FUNCTION: The Florida Constitution provides that the Clerk of the Circuit Court shall be: Clerk of the Circuit Court, Clerk of the County Court, County Comptroller, County Auditor, County Recorder, and Ex-Officio Clerk to the Board of County Commissioners. In addition, according to Florida Statute Sections 125.17 and 28.12, "the Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller for the County shall be the Clerk and Accountant of the Board of County Commissioners" (BOCC). The Clerk "shall keep the minutes and accounts." As Clerk of the BOCC, the Clerk is also responsible to serve as Clerk to the Value Adjustment Board (VAB) created pursuant to Florida Statute Section 194.015. DESCRIPTION/OBJECTIVE: The Clerk to BOCC performs the accounting function and maintains property control for the BOCC (Clerk to the BOCC-Finance), records the minutes of the BOCC meetings (Clerk to the BOCC-Administration) and administers the VAB (Clerk to the BOCC-VAB). Clerk to the BOCC-Finance: The Clerk's Finance Department maintains the BOCC's accounting records including the accounting records of the Tourist Development Council (TDC) and the Clerk's court-related accounts in accordance with United States generally accepted governmental accounting principles and in compliance with statutory requirements. The Finance Department's responsibilities also include managing cash, investment, debt, and property management for the BOCC as well as processing the receipts and disbursements of Monroe County's funds, including payroll. For the last thirty-six fiscal years, the Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada (GFOA) awarded a Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting to Monroe County for its Annual Comprehensive Financial Report (ACFR). The Certificate of Achievement is a prestigious national award recognizing conformance with the highest standards for preparation of the state and local government financial reports. 6 MONROE COUNTY,FLORIDA CLERK OF THE CIRCUIT COURT& COMPTROLLER Clerk to the BOCC Admin: The Clerk's Administration provides for the general management of all departments reporting to the Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller. Administration is responsible for long-range planning, clerk budget preparation, and the development of policies and procedures. Administrative assistants provide secretarial and technical support. Administrative staff maintains the accounting records for receipt and disbursement of the Clerk's court activities in accordance with United States generally accepted governmental accounting principles and in compliance with statutory requirements. This includes preparing the Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller's annual budget;monitoring and processing operating expenditures; accounting for user fees charged by the Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller and transferring these fees to the BOCC, the State of Florida and other local, state and federal agencies. Administration prepares and indexes official minutes of regular and special meetings of the BOCC. In addition to preparing and processing ordinances and resolutions resulting from those meetings, the Clerk's Administration maintains all County contracts and custody of the County seal as well as affixes the seal to any paper or instrument as required by law. Finally, Administration is responsible for the custody and care of the BOCC's official documents and makes them available for public inspection. Clerk to the BOCC-VAB: The VAB meets in accordance with applicable Florida Statutes and Department of Revenue rules. VAB is charged with conducting hearings and making decisions pertaining to:petitions relating to ad valorem assessments; appeals relating to ad valorem tax exemptions; and appeals concerning ad valorem tax deferrals and classification. As authorized by Florida Statute Section 194.035, the VAB appoints special magistrates to take testimony from petitioners and make recommendations to VAB. The Clerk's office,together with the contracted VAB attorney and the Property Appraiser's office, assists in VAB's operations. The Clerk's staff also provides education on VAB by providing general information and requirements through written materials and direct contact to taxpayers. Our primary goal is to be as helpful and cooperative as possible throughout the entire VAB process. The Clerk's Office files all petitions,receives filing fees,assists in the process of obtaining services of special magistrates, schedules and notifies petitioners and parties of hearings before special magistrates and the VAB, attends and records special magistrate hearings and VAB meetings, documents and sends notification of final decisions of the VAB, and other duties as directed by law. 7 MONROE COUNTY,FLORIDA CLERK OF THE CIRCUIT COURT& COMPTROLLER GOALS: Clerk to the BOCC-Finance: During FY 2026,the Clerk's Finance Department has identified number of goals for the fiscal year and will focus its efforts in the following areas: • Revamping the process for developing the County's Annual Comprehensive Financial Report. • Interfacing the Clerk's court case management system with the Clerk's automated accounting system to streamline operations. • Working with BOCC staff to identify possible interfaces between BOCC automated systems and the BOCC's automated accounting system. • Scanning remaining paper records so they are readily available electronically. • Automating the processing of the Court Registry. Clerk to the BOCC Admin: The Administration will continue its work to improve its Document Imaging System which maintains minutes from 1980 to the present;resolutions from 1960 to the present; ordinances from 1970 to the present and marriage licenses issued from 1829-1996. In addition, Administration is continuing its work to organize paper files, scan those files and then destroy those files that are allowed by statute. Finally,Administration is organizing its new long-term storage location for the Clerk's records. 8 MONROE COUNTY,FLORIDA CLERK OF THE CIRCUIT COURT& COMPTROLLER ADMINISTRATION BOCC Departmental Allocated Positions Budget Position Authority 2025 2026 Change Amount Clerk of Court 0.50 0.50 - 73,100 Deputy Clerks 2.00 2.00 - 231,000 Subtotal: 2.501 2.50 1 $ 304,100 Overtime/Terminal Leave/Payouts - COLA &Merit(5.0%) 15,300 Total Salaries: $ 319,400 FICA, Retirement Contributions 89,900 Life, Health&Workers' Compensation 44,800 Total Fringe Benefits: $ 134,700 Totals: $ 454,100 Fiscal Year Workload Measures: 2022 2023 2024 CLERK TO BOCC - ADMIN - BOCC Meetings Held 16 17 20 - Pages of Minutes 273 279 279 - Resolutions Adopted 522 646 550 - Ordinances 31 28 30 - Contracts Executed 1,086 1,052 904 CLERK TO BOCC - VAB - VAB Meetings 2 1 2 - VAB Petitions 396 607 521 - Special Magistrate Hearings 5 6 5 Proposed Approved Proposed 2026 2025 Increase Percent Budget Summary: Bud et Budget (Decrease) Change Personnel Services $ 454,100 $ 456,300 $ (2,200) -0.48% Operating Expenses $ 578,000 $ 578,000 $ - 0.00% Capital Outlay $ 81000 $ 8,000 $ - 0.00% Totals: $ 1,040,100 $ 1,042,300 $ (2,200) -0.21% 9 MONROE COUNTY,FLORIDA CLERK OF THE CIRCUIT COURT& COMPTROLLER CLERK FINANCE Departmental Allocated Positions Budget Position Authority 2025 2026 Change Amount Deputy Clerks 21.00 21.00 - 1,819,100 Subtotal: 21.001 21.00 1 $ 1,819,100 Overtime/Terniinal Leave/Payouts 55,000 COLA &Merit(5.0%) 90,900 Total Salaries: $ 1,965,000 FICA, Retirement Contributions 495,100 Life, Health&Workers' Compensation 351,900 Total Fringe Benefits: $ 847,000 Totals: $ 2,812,000 Fiscal Year Workload Measures: 2022 2023 2024 CLERK TO BOCC - FINANCE - Cash Receipts 5,701 5,042 5,244 - Payroll Checks/Direct Deposits 21,566 45,743 22,875 -Vendor Payment Transactions Processed 21,116 23,312 45,620 - Accounts Payable Lines Processed 42,577 22,431 22,745 - Journal Entries processed 1,926 1,461 1,890 - Grants Administered 96 97 116 - Cost Centers Maintained 971 1,013 1,052 - Funds Maintained 70 53 54 - Inventory Property Records 7,381 7,772 8,086 Proposed Approved Proposed 2026 2025 Increase Percent Budget Summary: Budget Budget Decrease Change Personnel Services $ 2,812,000 $ 2,801,700 $ 10,300 0.37% Operating Expenses $ 1,018,000 $ 1,250,000 $ (232,000) -18.56% Capital Outlay - $ 3,830,000 $ 4,051,700 $ (221,700) -5.47% 10 MONROE COUNTY,FLORIDA CLERK OF THE CIRCUIT COURT& COMPTROLLER TDC Departmental Allocated Positions Budget Position Authority 2025 2026 Change Amount TDC Finance Clerk 1.00 1.00 - 62,700 Subtotal: 1.001 1.00 - $ 62,700 Overtime/Terminal Leave/Payouts - COLA &Merit(5.0%) 3,200 Total Salaries: $ 65,900 FICA, Retirement Contributions 14,300 Life, Health&Workers' Compensation 17,500 Total Fringe Benefits: $ 31,800 Totals: $ 97,700 Proposed Approved Proposed 2026 2025 Increase Percent Budget Summary: Budget Budget (Decrease) Change Personnel Services $ 97,700 $ 91,100 $ 6,600 7.24% Operating Expenses $ 10,000 $ 10,000 $ - 0.00% Capital Outlay $ - $ - $ - $ 107,7001 $ 101,1001 $ 6,6001 6.53% 11 MONROE COUNTY,FLORIDA CLERK OF THE CIRCUIT COURT& COMPTROLLER INTERNAL AUDIT FUNCTION: The Internal Audit Department performs audits as part of the constitutional responsibilities of the Monroe County Clerk of Circuit Court and Comptroller. The mission of the Internal Audit Department is to provide independent and objective reviews and assessments of Monroe County's business activities, operations, financial systems and internal controls. DESCRIPTION/OBJECTIVE: Comprehensive assurance audits and consulting services are designed to add value, increase the efficiency of operations, advance accountability, and improve stewardship of public resources. This is accomplished through a systematic and disciplined approach in which internal auditors actively work with applicable BOCC and Clerk of Court management in identifying risks, evaluating controls, and making recommendations that promote economical, efficient, and effective use of funds and delivery of services. Internal Audit conducts audits and reviews of County departments and offices, Clerk of the Circuit Court, and all entities that receive County funds. In addition, Internal Audit reviews and investigates allegations of fraud, waste, abuse, and ethical misconduct (received via the fraud "hotline"). GOALS: Internal Audit has been involved in many value-added projects this past year. The recommendations resulting from these audits and reviews are expected to have significant impacts and improvements on the operations of the County government. The goals of the Internal Audit Department include: • Assist with identifying operational risks and evaluating regulatory compliance. • Cash handling policies and procedures are reviewed as part of each department audit. • Assist in implementing any improvements in processes, systems whenever possible. • Use data analytics to identify risks,patterns, and anomalies when planning audits. • Cost reductions or increased revenue sources will be analyzed as part of each audit. • Review and answer all inquiries from the BOCC and the Monroe County Administration. 12 MONROE COUNTY,FLORIDA CLERK OF THE CIRCUIT COURT& COMPTROLLER INTERNAL AUDIT Departmental Allocated Positions Budget Position Authority 2025 2026 Change Amount Deputy Clerks 4.00 4.00 - 470,200 Subtotal: 4.001 4.001 470,200 Overtime/Terminal Leave/Payouts - COLA&Merit(5.0%) 23,600 Total Salaries: $ 493,800 FICA, Retirement Contributions 135,200 Life, Health&Workers' Compensation 71,500 Total Fringe Benefits: $ 206,700 Totals: $ 700,500 WORKLOAD MEASURES Audits Completed,Planned or In Progress Personal Use of County Vehicles(2024-003) Parks &Beaches Cash Management(2024-004) Tourist Development Councils Digital Services (2024-005) Library Cash Management(2025-001) StandGuard Aquatics (on-going) Solid Waste Cash Management(on-going) Social Services Grants Management(on-going) Risk Management Program(on-going) Guardianships Non-Audit/Administrative Assistance and Guidance Audits of various BOCC processes Quarterly Surprise Cash Counts Staff Development Fraud Hotline Investigations Data Analytics Other Internal Audit Duties Proposed Approved Proposed 2026 2025 Increase Percent Budget Summary: Budget Budget Decrease Change Personnel Services $ 700,500 $ 695,300 $ 5,200 0.75% Operating Expenses $ 21,000 $ 21,000 $ - 0.00% Capital Outlay $ - $ - $ - 0.00% $ 721,500 $ 716,300 $ 5,2001 0.73% 13 MONROE COUNTY,FLORIDA CLERK OF THE CIRCUIT COURT& COMPTROLLER CLERK INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY FUNCTION: The role of the Clerk's Information Technology (IT) Department is to provide information technology support to all departments of the Clerk of the Circuit Court, as well as to the BOCC and eight other agencies that are a part of the Criminal Justice Information Systems (CJIS) network. DESCRIPTION/OBJECTIVES: The IT Department supports the following functions: • Circuit Court: Civil, Probate, Jury Management • County Court: Traffic, Civil/Small Claims • Criminal Justice Information System (CJIS) • Juvenile • E-Filing • Document Recording and Indexing • Budgeting • Clerk of Court's Accounting and Financial Reporting • Clerk to the BOCC Accounting and Financial Reporting • Clerk and BOCC Payroll • Fixed and Moveable Assets • Clerk to the BOCC Purchasing and Workflow • Clerk Purchasing and Workflow The Clerk's IT Department is responsible for maintaining an up-to-date IT infrastructure and network to ensure a secure and efficient technology network that interfaces and shares data with the Clerk's justice partners and BOCC stakeholders. GOALS: The overall goal of the Clerk's IT Department is to strengthen security, streamline operations, and support innovation through technology to better serve the Clerk's Office and the Public. The IT Department will continue its work on the following through FY 2026: 14 MONROE COUNTY,FLORIDA CLERK OF THE CIRCUIT COURT& COMPTROLLER • Cybersecurity: The IT Department will continue to strengthen our cybersecurity posture by conducting extensive vulnerability assessments and penetration testing. • Process Efficiency & Public Experience: A major focus will be implementing a new payment solution to enhance the public's experience when paying online or by phone. This will also streamline internal processes and help reduce foot traffic at Clerk locations. • Workday System Integrations: The IT Department aims to complete integrations between Workday and both Odyssey and Landmark to significantly reduce manual data entry. We continue to explore ways to improve and expand Workday functionality for both the Clerk and BOCC. • e-Certify: Actively developing an in-house electronic certification (e-Certify) solution to improve the processing and security of certified documents. • Jury System Enhancements:Working to complete the development of an online presence for the Jurymark system, allowing the public to submit excusal requests and check their jury reporting status. We are also evaluating the use of kiosks for jury check-in. • Clerk Minutes Solution: Exploring options to digitize the Clerk's minutes process to improve efficiency and usability for court clerks. • Data Quality & UCR Compliance: Ongoing efforts will also include improving data quality and continuing work on Uniform Case Reporting (UCR)requirements. 15 MONROE COUNTY,FLORIDA CLERK OF THE CIRCUIT COURT& COMPTROLLER CLERK INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY Departmental Allocated Positions Budget Position Authority 2025 2026 Change Amount Deputy Clerks 2.00 2.00 - 296,300 Subtotal: 2.001 2.00 - $ 296,300 Overtime/Ternimi l Leave/Payouts 5,000 COLA &Merit(5.0%) 14,900 Total Salaries: $ 316,200 FICA, Retirement Contributions 111,100 Life, Health&Workers' Compensation 46,300 Total Fringe Benefits: $ 157,400 Totals: $ 473,600 Fiscal Year Workload Measures: 2022 2023 2024 - Workstations and Laptops 154 174 165 - Servers 105 135 125 - Software Applications 26 25 27 Proposed Approved Proposed Percent 2026 2025 Increase Change Budget Summary: Budget Budget (Decrease) Personnel Services $ 473,600 $ 447,900 $ 25,700 5.74% Operating Expenses $ 977,200 $ 745,200 $ 232,000 31.13% Capital Outlay $ 325,000 $ 325,000 $ - 0.00% $ 1,775,800 $ 1,518,100 $ 257,700 16.98% 16 MONROE COUNTY,FLORIDA CLERK OF THE CIRCUIT COURT& COMPTROLLER RECORDING FUNCTION: The Florida Constitution provides that the Clerk of Court shall be responsible for recording all instruments authorized by law to be recorded in the Official Records of Monroe County. DESCRIPTION/OBJECTIVES: The Recording Division processes all documents that are recorded in the Official Records of Monroe County. The staff records documents and collects documentary and intangible taxes due to the State of Florida, Department of Revenue. The Recording Division also maintains a daily register of recorded documents and provides an index to the Official Records. GOALS: Public access to the Official Records Document Recording and Indexing System via the Clerk of Court's website has greatly enhanced the public usage of these records. An automated recording system allows the Clerk's Office to accept e-records from the general public and, in turn, accept credit cards as payment when a document is recorded for the County. The Clerk's Office will continue to evaluate its recording function and make improvements. 17 MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA CLERK OF THE CIRCUIT COURT & COMPTROLLER RECORDING Departmental Allocated Positions Budget Position Authority 2025 2026 Change Amount Deputy Clerks 4.30 7.05 2.75 461,600 Subtotal: 4.30 7.05 2.75 $ 461,600 Overtime/Terminal Leave/Payouts 20,000 COLA &Merit(5.0%) 23,100 Total Salaries: $ 504,700 FICA, Retirement Contributions 131,900 Life, Health&Workers' Compensation 122,400 Total Fringe Benefits: $ 254,300 Totals:j $ 759,000 Fiscal Year Workload Measures: 2022 2023 2024 - Documents Recorded 46,988 39,760 38,486 - Pages Recorded 149,875 114,398 121,462 - Marriage Licenses Issued 2,626 2,369 2,349 Proposed Approved Proposed Percent 2026 2025 Increase Change Budget Summary: Budget Budget (Decrease) Personnel Services $ 759,000 $ 406,200 $ 352,800 86.85% Operating Expenses $ 59,100 $ 59,100 $ - Capital Outlay $ - $ - $ - $ 818,1001 $ 465,300 1 $ 352,8001 75.82% 18 MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA CLERK OF THE CIRCUIT COURT & COMPTROLLER RECORDS MANAGEMENT FUNCTION: The Florida Constitution provides that the Clerk of Court is responsible for the maintenance and protection of public records under his stewardship. DESCRIPTION/OBJECTIVES: The Records Management Division processes all Official Records, court records, and other miscellaneous records with imaging technology. Records are maintained until the retention period has been met. Once the retention period is met, the records are scanned and subsequently destroyed. In addition, the department provides Official Record document images and indexes to the public. GOALS: New documents filed in Monroe County court cases are redacted as required by Florida Statutes. The Official Records for 1985-1996 have been redacted by an outside vendor. The Court Record redaction software redacts sensitive information that is prohibited from being publicly available from official records. Preservation of historical court records was maintained by converting these files into electronic or another format. 19 MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA CLERK OF THE CIRCUIT COURT & COMPTROLLER RECORDS MANAGEMENT Positions Budget Departmental Positions 2025 2026 Change Amount Deputy Clerks - - - - Subtotal: - - - $ - Overtime/Terminal Leave/Payouts - COLA &Merit(5.0%) - Total Salaries: $ - FICA, Retirement Contributions - Life, Health&Workers' Compensation - Total Fringe Benefits: $ - Totals: $ - Fiscal Year Workload Measures: 2022 2023 2024 - Pages Microfilmed 166,261 1 N/A N/A - Efiled Cases 21,294 16,611 11,413 Proposed Approved Proposed Percent 2026 2025 Increase Change Budget Summary: Budget Bud et (Decrease) Personnel Services $ - $ - $ - 9DIV/0! Operating Expenses $ 50,000 $ 50,000 $ - Capital Outlay $ - $ - $ - $ 50,0001 $ 50,000 $ - 0.00% 20 MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA CLERK OF THE CIRCUIT COURT & COMPTROLLER COURT-RELATED CLERK FUNCTIONS COUNTY-FUNDED CLERK OF COURT OPERATIONS Salary Increases and Related Fringe Benefits Prior Year FY DIRECT COSTS Funding 2026 Total Circuit Court Juvenile 48,000 7,900 55,900 Circuit Court Civil 156,800 19,500 176,300 Circuit Court Criminal 217,700 33,700 251,400 Circuit Court Family 47,900 8,800 56,700 Circuit Court Probate 71,400 7,300 78,700 County Court Civil 95,500 19,600 115,100 County Court Criminal 200,200 20,200 220,400 County Court Traffic 289,600 56,100 345,700 Jury Management 38,000 7,800 45,800 TOTAL DIRECT COSTS: 1,165,100 180,900 1,346,000 INDIRECT COSTS Administration 320,800 65,500 386,300 Records Management 11,200 - 11,200 TOTAL INDIRECT COSTS: 332,000 65,500 397,500 TOTAL COSTS: 1,497,100 246,400 1,743,500 Employee Benefits Health Workers' Risk DIRECT COSTS Ins Comp Mgt Total Circuit Court Juvenile 30,900 1,100 700 32,700 Circuit Court Civil 96,100 3,000 2,000 101,100 Circuit Court Criminal 147,200 5,200 3,300 155,700 Circuit Court Family 38,400 1,300 900 40,600 Circuit Court Probate 30,100 1,100 700 31,900 County Court Civil 104,600 3,100 1,800 109,500 County Court Criminal 89,500 3,200 2,700 95,400 County Court Traffic 265,100 8,800 3,500 277,400 Jury Management 33,500 1,200 400 35,100 TOTAL DIRECT COSTS: 835,400 28,000 16,000 879,400 INDIRECT COSTS Administration 158,900 22,800 3,700 185,400 Records Management - - 400 400 TOTAL INDIRECT COSTS: 158,900 22,800 4,100 185,800 TOTAL COSTS: 994,300 50,800 20,100 1,065,200 21 MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA CLERK OF THE CIRCUIT COURT & COMPTROLLER Statutory Obligations Equip/ DIRECT COSTS Phones Computers Leases Total - Circuit Court Juvenile 200 10,340 1,150 11,690 - Circuit Court Civil 300 25,850 1,720 27,870 - Circuit Court Criminal 600 5,170 3,450 9,220 - Circuit Court Family 100 7,755 575 8,430 - Circuit Court Probate 100 7,755 575 8,430 - County Court Civil 600 51,700 3,450 55,750 - County Court Criminal 600 51,700 3,450 55,750 - County Court Traffic 800 51,700 4,600 57,100 - Jury Management 100 5,170 575 5,845 TOTAL DIRECT COSTS: 3,400 217,140 19,545 240,085 INDIRECT COSTS -Administration 100 5,170 1,150 6,420 - Records Management 300 15,510 6,500 22,310 TOTAL INDIRECT COSTS: 400 20,680 7,650 28,730 TOTAL COSTS: 3,800 237,820 27,195 268,815 22 MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA CLERK OF THE CIRCUIT COURT & COMPTROLLER SUMMARY OF CLERK FULL-TIME EQUIVALENT POSITIONS Non-Court Related # OF FTE* Clerk to BOCC 23.50 Internal Audit 4.00 Information Systems 2.00 Recording 7.05 Records Management - TDC 1.00 Total Non-Court FTEs 37.55 37.18% Court Related FTEs 58.45 57.87% Records Modernization FTEs 5.00 4.95% Total Clerk FTEs 101.00 42.13% FTEs providing Direct Service 95.00 94.06% FTEs providing Indirect Service 6.00 5.94% Total Clerk Positions 101.00 100.00% 23 MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA CLERK OF THE CIRCUIT COURT & COMPTROLLER OTHER CLERK FUNDING SOURCES PUBLIC RECORDS MODERNIZATION TRUST FUND PUBLIC RECORDS MODERNIZATION TRUST FUND Florida Stats. Florida Stats. 28.24(12)(d) 28.24(12)(e)(1) Revenues Recording Fees 57,014 163,240 Interest Income 3,000 12,000 Cash Carry Forward 1,046,292 2,442,493 Total Revenues 1,106,306 2,617,733 Expenditures Personnel Services 441,553 Operating Expenses 500,000 900,000 Equipment Contingency Reserves Total Expenditures 941,553 900,000 Estimated ending balance 164,754 1,717,733 The Public Records Mode rnizationTrus t Fund is authorized by Florida Statutes Section 28.24 (12)(d) and(e). The use of these funds is restricted as follows: • Public Records Modernization Trust Funds [Florida Statute 28.24(12)(d)] are to be used for equipment, maintenance,personnel training, and technical assistance in modernizing the public records system of the Clerk's Office. • Public Records Court Technology Funds [Florida Statute 28.24(12)(e)(1)] are to be used exclusively for the operation and support of an integrated computer system for judicial agencies and to support the operations and maintenance of the state court system. FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY 24