The circuit clerk’s office must find a way to accommodate four new judges without additional funds from the county, according to County Board Chairman Jim Moustis (R-Frankfort.)
Moustis said the board intends to stick to a tight budget that covers the cost of current employees while all but closing the door on added staff.
Circuit Clerk Pam McGuire seeks funding for 12 additional clerks to provide reporting and accounting support to the new judges. The circuit clerk’s office employs about 140 clerks to support about 30 Circuit Court judges.
While the state pays judges’ salaries, the county is responsible for providing space and staffing support without reimbursement from the state.
McGuire said her office already has begun a series of work-shifting measures such as allowing certain law-enforcement and judicial officials to access Circuit Court records on the Internet, and dedicating two employees to answering questions that can’t be addressed through the office’s touch-tone telephone answering system.
McGuire also said her office would benefit from a more aggressive approach to collecting court-ordered fines. The state’s attorney’s office has established that it is responsible for collecting the fines.