Clerks call for fee updates in ‘State of the Clerks’ address
Wakulla County Court Clerk Greg James, from the left, Miami-Dade County Court Clerk Juan Fernandez-Barquin, Hernando County Court Clerk Doug Chorvat, Jr., Marion County Court Clerk Gregory Harrell, and Putnam County Court Clerk Matt Reynolds, deliver the second-annual Florida Court Clerks & Comptrollers (FCCC) “State of the Clerk and Comptrollers Address” at the Old Capitol on January 20. Clerks are supporting several bills, including HB 759, which would raise civil filing fees and service charges for the first time since 2008, the last year lawmakers approved an increase. “This year, the Florida Clerks of Court Operations Corporation identified a $75 million funding gap statewide,” said Barquin, a lawyer and former lawmaker who serves as FCCC secretary. “To address it, clerks of court are asking lawmakers to modernize outdated fees and allow us to retain more of the revenue we collect and approve sustainable revenue enhancements.” Chorvat, the FCCC president, praised the bill sponsors. “These leaders understand that timely, reliable court services are not optional, they are foundational."
