Chapters 2009-61 and 2009-204, Laws of Florida, directed OPPAGA to describe in detail the base budgets for each of the clerks and for the state courts system. As directed, we consulted with the Auditor General in this effort.
The Auditor General derived budget information for the clerks from documents submitted to the Clerks of Court Operations Corporation for the nine-month period, October 1, 2009, through June 30, 2010, and annualizing this number by increasing it approximately 33% to represent the best approximation possible of the 12-month budget appropriated by the Legislature for the 2009-10 state fiscal year. This was necessary because the clerks' budget process shifted to require annual Legislative appropriation on the state's fiscal year (July 1 to June 30) in the midst of an existing county fiscal year (October 1 to September 30) after budgets had already been established under the previous funding methodology. These annualized budgets were then allocated to the four core service areas using the 2010-11 fiscal year percentages. Use of the 2010-11 fiscal year percentages was necessary because the 2009-10 fiscal year budgets were not apportioned by the clerks among the four core service areas.
Budget information for the state courts system was derived from its Legislative Budget Request for the 2009-10 state fiscal year.
Due to cost considerations, this information is provided only as an electronic document.

Little Duplication in Court-Related Services; Clerk/Court Cooperation Should Be Improved
Report 10-11 January 2010
Judicial Case Management Practices Vary Throughout State; Better Case Data Needed
Report 09-06 January 2009
Clerks of Court Generally Are Meeting the System's Collections Performance Standards
Report 07-21 March 2007
Court Fine and Fee Collections Can Increase
Report 04-07 January 2004

Copies of this report in print or alternate accessible format may be obtained by email OPPAGA@oppaga.fl.gov, telephone (850) 488-0021, or mail 111 W. Madison St., Room 312 Tallahassee, FL 32399-1475.