Florida’s clerks celebrate Sunshine Week
Florida Court Clerks & Comptrollers (FCCC) are celebrating 2024 Sunshine Week (March 10–16), the annual recognition week honoring Florida’s commitment to transparency and government in the sunshine.
“Transparency in local government is a key priority of Clerks of Court and Comptrollers in Florida,” said 2023-2024 FCCC President and Suwannee County Clerk of Court and Comptroller Barry Baker. “We work hard to not only maintain all of the important court and official records that our office sees daily, but also to protect their integrity and ensure they are easily accessible. I encourage you to learn more about the records we hold and how to access them this Sunshine Week.”
Clerks of court uphold transparency in county government and the court system with accurate recordkeeping and efficient reporting. Toward this responsibility, clerks provide citizens access to public documents such as court and official records, offer fraud services for the public to shed light on allegations of fraud and waste, and enhance access to public information by harnessing new technologies to provide more official documents and services online.
In their function as comptroller, most clerks promote fiscal transparency in county government by conducting independent audits and reviews of county expenses and activities and maintaining financial records and reports on financial activities for the board of county commissioners. Many comptrollers also develop annual financial reports, often accessible online, to help constituents understand how their tax dollars are managed and spent.
In honor of Sunshine Week, the clerks are providing quick tips for requesting public records from their local offices:
- Most public records are available online. For most offices, court and official records are accessible electronically. For a list of records available online, visit your clerk of court’s website or contact their office.
- Get to know the contacts for requesting public records. Many offices have public records liaisons. If you request public records frequently, it may be helpful to contact these individuals.
- Be precise with your public records requests. Putting your request in writing and being specific with your request helps improve efficiency.
- Don’t know what you’re looking for? Just ask. Public Records liaisons are available to assist you with formulating the most appropriate request to fulfill your needs.
For more information, visit www.FLClerks.com/page/SunshineWeek.
