Clerk Of The Courts Faces Financial Troubles

November 27, 2008

A budget shortfall is causing the Escambia Clerk of the Courts to ask employees to voluntarily take time off without pay and will layoff 20 part-time workers a few days before Christmas.

Clerk of the Court Ernie Lee Magaha has asked each of 196 employees to voluntarily take off one day without pay per month for the next ten months of the fiscal year. He’s also told the 20 part-time student employees that they will be laid off on December 19.

The clerk’s office says the budget problems stem from lower than anticipated fee revenue. A portion of that revenue drop comes from lower real estate transaction recording revenue.

Magaha will ask the Escambia County Commission for another $400,000 at their December 11 meeting to help the clerk’s office stay afloat. He’s also imposed a hiring and purchasing freeze in the department.

Comments

3 Responses to “Clerk Of The Courts Faces Financial Troubles”

  1. GI Joe on September 4th, 2009 10:12 pm

    Get used to it. Property taxes will need to go down another 25%… back to 2000 levels. Folks, Escambia County’s recent tax runup was just phantom wealth. The county neither earned it or deserved it. In fact, now that Escambia County actually lost population, local government will need to shrink to pre 1995 levels.
    Folks, put a fork in this pig.

  2. Terri Sanders on November 29th, 2008 8:44 am

    I have a budget shortfall in my business.Ya reckon I could ask my customers to voluntarily give me 5.00 each time they come in so as to bail me out?
    It is the clerks job to run the office efficiently.He can’t do it then get someone who can.It is not fair for the employees to pay for someone elses mismanagement.
    Put some woman in office with children,housepaymments and a budget,bet she could teach everyone a thing or two.Chances are she could go into that office and find just one way to save thousands of dollars each month without cutbacks,layoffs or asking for free labor. When you have to depend on yourself to be thrifty you can find ways to cutback. Of course it is always easier to spend someone elses money.

  3. could be wrong on November 27th, 2008 10:57 am

    With the economy the way it is, I can under stand the reduction in fees

    to the county. But, with fewer sales one can expect to have less

    recording fees, less sales tax, and less work.

    Maybe we could run our county government a little like private business

    and justify jobs. Could we not lay off people and maybe consolidate

    offices. How about cutting the hours these offices are open.

    I am sorry, I do not want to sound cold or insensitive, but that is life.

    What about West Fraser, Solutia, I.P., housing contractors, and landscapers?

    Many people have woke up to no job, right here at Christmas, with

    debt and obligations, what about them. A day a month would be a blessing for

    them.