Kitsap County Clerk 2017 Budget Presentation Tuesday, September 20, - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Kitsap County Clerk

2017 Budget Presentation

Tuesday, September 20, 2016

1:00 – 1:30 PM

Dave Peterson County Clerk

1

What is the Office of County Clerk?

• The County Clerk is an elected official in the

Executive Branch of government.

• The position of County Clerk is created by the

Washington State Constitution.

• The County Clerk is a co-equal office to the

County Commissioners, not a Department under the commissioners.

• The County Clerk serves as the administrative

and financial officer for the Superior Court.

2

The Clerk Supports the Superior Court

• The Clerk’s Office collects all money for the

Superior Court.

• We keep the official records of the Superior

Court and maintain them in perpetuity.

• We maintain the chain-of-custody and store

all exhibits offered in court proceedings.

• We attend all proceedings of the Superior

Court and receive the jury verdict in any action or proceeding.

3

What Else Do We Do?

• You, or your attorney, see the County Clerk to start a

court suit or action in Superior Court.

• Our 1.5 Courthouse Facilitators provide assistance to
• ver 1,400 litigants involved in family law and

guardianship matters who are not represented by an attorney.

• This helps save time for both the Superior Court and

litigants by making sure pro se litigants’ paperwork is complete and filled out properly.

• Through legislative efforts started by the Kitsap County

Clerk’s Office, all counties now have the option of also providing facilitator services to lay guardians.

4

Wait, There’s More

• We summon and process about 38,000 prospective

jurors each year for Superior Court, District Court, and the four Municipal Courts.

• We provide about 100 jury panels a year for all the

courts in Kitsap County.

• For this service, we do charge the 4 Municipal Courts
• ur actual costs for juror per diem, meals, and

mileage plus a $125 admin fee for each panel called.

• As a result, the 4 Municipal Courts do not have to

provide and run their own expensive Jury Management Systems.

5

And More

• We receive and process fees, criminal fines, and

maintain the court registry (accounting records).

• We scan, docket, and link over 750,000 pages of

court files a year.

• We make over 3.1 million SCOMIS transactions a

year.

• We assist victims of domestic violence who seek

protection orders through the courts.

• We act as a federal acceptance agent for US

passport applications and take passport photos.

6

However, We…

• Do NOT issue marriage licenses = Auditor
• Do NOT record property sales = Auditor
• Do NOT issue auto licenses = Auditor
• Do NOT handle military separation documents (DD-214) = Auditor
• Do NOT issue business licenses = A few from Auditor, most by

State of Washington Business Licensing Service

• Do NOT process speeding tickets = District Court, Municipal Court
• Do NOT maintain current property foreclosure lists = Treasurer
• Do NOT do criminal background checks = Washington State Patrol
• The core duties of a County Clerk are the same from county to

county but often vary from state to state.

7

We Work Closely With Others in the Law & Justice System

• When the Prosecutor’s Office files criminal

charges, it does so with the County Clerk.

• The County Clerk processes search warrants

from the Superior Court so the Sheriff and local police can conduct lawful searches.

• We process and maintain bail bonds and cash

bail for the Jail.

8

The Clerk’s Office is at the Center of the Law & Justice System

• Citizens come to us to seek redress in the

Superior Court.

• The Sheriff, Prosecutor, and the Superior Court all

depend upon the Clerk’s Office doing its job in

• rder to perform their jobs.
• A change made in any one of those offices has a

ripple effect upon the others.

• That’s why it is important to maintain a balance

in funding for all offices within Law & Justice.

9

The Clerk’s Office is at the Center of the Law & Justice System (cont.)

• Funding any one office, disproportionately

greater or less than the others, can upset the

• ther offices’ ability to properly do their jobs.
• The Clerk’s Office has no options as to whom

we serve or do not serve.

• We serve everyone who comes through our

doors.

10

Clerk’s Office Budget – Dept 09

• The County Clerk has responsibility for

Department 09 – Clerk Services, which is comprised of five programs or cost centers.

 9091 – Core Services  9092 – Jury Administration  9094 – Courthouse Facilitator  9095 – LFO Collections  9096 – Passport Services

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Department 09 – Clerk Services

• Only one of the cost centers, Core Services, is

mandated to be done by the County Clerk.

• Included under Core Services are all the jobs

associated with supporting the Superior Court.

• One of the other four programs, Jury Services, is

mandated to the County and Superior Court, but not to the County Clerk.

• The County Clerk voluntarily handles Jury

Services for the Superior Court.

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Department 09 – Clerk Services (cont.)

• The remaining three programs under

Department 09, Courthouse Facilitator, Collections, and Passports, are also not mandated to the County or the County Clerk.

• The County Clerk does them as a service to the

public, the courts, and victims—and all 3 programs bring in about as much or more revenue than it costs to provide the services.

• Courthouse Facilitator “profit” = $5,247
• Collections “profit” = $342,737 ($1,412,271 total)
• Passports “profit” = $131,458

13

2017 Dept 09 – Clerk Services Budget Request

• Our County Clerk’s Office revenue projection for 2017 is

$14,521 more than our 2016 revenue projection.

• When you set aside interfund payments and salaries &

benefits, costs over which we have no control, the County Clerk is asking for no more in expenditures for 2017 than was budgeted in 2016 to run all of our 5 programs.

• We are submitting a status quo budget request for 2017.
• The one “real unknown” in our budget is the expense for

juror mileage, meals, and the $10 per diem payment made to all attending jurors under Jury Services. We have little control over this item. It depends on the number and duration of jury trials needed which varies from year to year.

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15

Line # 2016 Budget 2017/2016 1 Cat/Cost Center 9091 9092 9094 9095 9096 Totals % Totals Difference 2

Cost Center Task Core Jury CH Facilitator Collections Passports

3

Req/Opt for County? Required Required Optional Optional Optional

4

Req/Opt for Clerk? Required Optional Optional Optional Optional

5 Taxes 350 75,000 75,350 3.98% 82,729 (7,379) 6 Licenses & Permits 0.00% 7 Intergovernmental 305,000 7,500 78,127 390,627 20.64% 410,627 (20,000) 8 Charges for Services 655,050 150,600 100 170,000 975,750 51.54% 930,150 45,600 9 Fines & Forfeits 200 345,250 345,450 18.25% 364,350 (18,900) 10 Misc/Other 5,850 100,000 105,850 5.59% 90,650 15,200 11 Total Revenue 966,250 82,700 150,600 523,477 170,000 1,893,027 100.00% 1,878,506 14,521 12

% of Total 51.04% 4.37% 7.96% 27.65% 8.98% 100.00%

100.00% Line # 2016 Budget 2017/2016 13 Cat/Cost Center 9091 9092 9094 9095 9096 Totals % Totals Difference 14

Cost Center Task Core Jury CH Facilitator Collections Passports

15

Req/Opt for County? Required Required Optional Optional Optional

16

Req/Opt for Clerk? Required Optional Optional Optional Optional

17 Salaries & Benefits 2,527,784 187,250 135,511 166,800 34,209 3,051,554 86.63% 2,852,929 198,625 18 Supplies 36,300 1,600 1,000 350 4,000 43,250 1.23% 44,000 (750) 19 Services 43,833 165,600 960 4,150 250 214,793 6.10% 214,043 750 20 Interfund Payments 175,558 19,929 7,882 9,440 83 212,892 6.04% 205,133 7,759 21 Other Uses 0.00% 22 Total Expenses 2,783,475 374,379 145,353 180,740 38,542 3,522,489 100.00% 3,316,105 206,384 23

% of Total 79.02% 10.63% 4.13% 5.13% 1.09% 100.00%

100.00% 24 Rev/Exp Difference (1,817,225) (291,679) 5,247 342,737 131,458 (1,629,462) (1,437,599) (191,863) 25 FTE Employees 31.30 2.25 1.50 2.25 0.50 37.80 37.80 0.00 26 9092 Actuals 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 5-Yr Aver 1/2 2016 2016 Proj 2017 Req 27 Services (see line 19) 263,667 184,993 267,681 161,347 225,675 220,673 94,746 189,492 165,600

5- Year Historical Trend of 9092 Jury Actual Expenditures for SERVICES (Varies with Jurors Called & Juries Used)

COUNTY CLERK -- 2017 BUDGET (Request)

Clerk Has LITTLE/NO Control over WHITE fields & Jury Services Clerk Has Control over BLUE fields (lines 18 & 19)

PROPOSED 2017 REVENUE PROPOSED 2017 EXPENSES

16 Category/Cost Center 9091 9092 9094 9095 9096 Totals

Cost Center Task Core Jury CH Facilitator Collections Passports Req/Optional for County? Required Required Optional Optional Optional Req/Optional for Clerk? Required Optional Optional Optional Optional

Supplies - 2017 36,300 1,600 1,000 350 4,000 43,250 Services - 2017 43,833 165,600 960 4,150 250 214,793 Total Expenses - 2017 80,133 167,200 1,960 4,500 4,250 258,043 Category/Cost Center 9091 9092 9094 9095 9096 Totals Supplies - 2016 36,900 1,600 1,000 500 4,000 44,000 Services - 2016 43,833 165,600 960 3,400 250 214,043 Total Expenses - 2016 80,733 167,200 1,960 3,900 4,250 258,043 2017 Exp +or- 2016 Exp (600) 600 Category/Cost Center 9091 9092 9094 9095 9096 Totals Total Revenue - 2017 966,250 82,700 150,600 523,477 170,000 1,893,027 Total Revenue - 2016 981,050 90,129 135,000 552,327 120,000 1,878,506 2017 Rev +or- 2016 Rev (14,800) (7,429) 15,600 (28,850) 50,000 14,521 Category/Cost Center 9091 9092 9094 9095 9096 Totals

FTE Employees - 2017 31.30 2.25 1.50 2.25 0.50 37.80 FTE Employees - 2016 31.55 2.25 1.50 2.25 0.25 37.80 Change 2017 over 2016 (0.25) 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.25 0.00

Change in FTE Employees

COUNTY CLERK -- SUPPLIES & SERVICES: 2017 to 2016

Expenditure Items over which Clerk has Control (S&B and Interfund Removed)

Clerk has Minimal Control over Services in Jury (9092)

PROPOSED 2017 EXPENSES BUDGETED 2016 EXPENSES 2016 & 2017 REVENUE COMPARISON

Continually Review Office Practices (CROP)

• Since I became County Clerk in October 2001, I have asked my

supervisors and staff to Continually Review all Office Practices (CROP) to make sure those practices are efficient, effective and make the best use of staff while delivering the best product and

• utcome for our customers.
• Each supervisor is encouraged, and has the latitude, to scrutinize

all practices and procedures within their units.

• If changes can be made that improve service to customers, make
• ur office more efficient, save staff time, save budget resources,

and/or increase revenue, we make the changes.

• This process is encouraged as a part of good management and

requires no extra overhead or staff.

• We provide better service to our customers and the citizens of

Kitsap County and pass along savings and new revenue to the County budget.

17

Success Stories-LFO Collections

• In October 2003, all the County Clerks in the State

voluntarily took over the job of collecting legal financial

• bligations (LFO’s) from the Department of Corrections

(DOC) for the State.

• Up to then, DOC was collecting an average of $69,000 a

month in adult criminal LFO’s in Kitsap County.

• In the 12 full years since, we have collected an average of
• ver $104,044 a month or $1,248,530 a year in LFO’s, for a

total of almost $15 million—meaning more return to the State, the County, and restitution to the victims.

• In addition, we collect about $120,000 a year in
• bligations owed by juveniles.
• The State pays us about $20,000 a year to do collections

for them—it was originally about $40,000 a year.

18

Success Stories-Passport Photos

• In February 2008, we started offering passport

photo services.

• For $10 you get to preview your photo to make

sure it looks good and then we give you 4 photos for passport, visa, and other uses.

• From February 2008 through 2015, we have

brought in $117,880 in photo revenue we would have otherwise not received—about $14,735 per year.

• This year we are on track to process almost 6,200

passports and take 3,600 passport photos.

19

Success Stories-ClerkePass

• Working with Image-X Enterprises in October 2008, we

started using an e-commerce software service called ClerkePass.

• ClerkePass allows the general public to purchase and receive

via the internet, both certified and non-certified, Kitsap Superior Court documents.

• At first, a staff person was needed to locate and send out the

requested documents.

• However in early 2015, we enhanced the program to allow

the software to locate and send out the documents without staff intervention.

• Kitsap was the first county in Washington State to use the

service and our first customer used the service while in Italy.

• We receive about $9,000 in annual revenue from ClerkePass.

20

Success Stories-CORA

• In March 2011 we began providing electronic access to Kitsap

Superior Court records over the Internet by subscription to the legal community and news media through a “Clerk’s Online Records Access” (CORA) portal.

• CORA not only improves access by the public, but generates

additional revenue. We now have over 82 CORA full-fee subscribers and several partial-fee subscribers which annually brings in about $40,000 yearly in new, additional revenue.

• In 2016 we started billing our CORA customers electronically

instead of by US Mail. As a result, we will save almost $1,000 annually in postage and preparation time.

• We also provide free access to our public court records to non-

profit agencies such as the NW Justice Project, Kitsap Legal Services, and other government agencies such as the FBI, state government, cities of Bremerton and Port Orchard, and contracted PD attorneys.

21

Success Stories-Sealing Juvenile Files

• Prior to a legislative change in June 2014, we would seal only a handful of

juvenile offender files each year.

• We now seal about 300 juvenile offender files annually and this number

is expected to increase in the coming years.

• Before 2016, sealing a file would require us to re-scan each individual

document in a file and manually re-assemble them as one sealed image.

• We then deleted the previously scanned unsealed images (documents)

for each file in Stellent.

• This all took about 45 minutes per file.
• Today, with the Appellate Manager software we already own, we now

electronically consolidate the original scanned images into the one sealed image.

• This eliminates prep time, re-scanning time, and the manual process of

assembling the files.

• We estimate we now annually save about 150 hours of supervisor time

through the new process.

22

Success Stories -- aiSmartBench

• The County Clerk has all Superior Court files back to

territorial days either imaged or available on microfilm.

• Through 2015, we still kept paper files of all recent

cases for use by the judges, attorneys, and the public.

• That changed January 1, 2016.
• The Clerk and the Superior Court, with the help of the

State Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) and Mentis Technology, stopped using paper files and started using all electronic files by the judges in the courtrooms and in chambers through a software program for judges called aiSmartBench.

23

Success -- aiSmartBench (cont.)

• Going paperless helps save on some staff

costs.

• Existing file clerks no longer need to create,

pull, verify, and re-file every file used by the Court, attorneys, and the public.

• They now verify electronic files and calendars

as well as perform quality control duties in the Records Unit to help ensure the integrity

• f court records.

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Success -- aiSmartBench (cont.)

• Going paperless saves us $10,000 a year in the

cost of paper file folders alone.

• In addition, going paperless provides more

electronic access and expanded searching and retrieval capabilities for the judges while on the bench, in chambers, or anywhere there is internet service.

• Also, we can reclaim space formerly used for

paper file storage and commit it to office space and other uses.

25

The Future - SCOMIS to Odyssey

• The State Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) is

working on a multi-year project to replace SCOMIS, a 1977 legacy case management system or CMS, with a new CMS called Odyssey for use by the County Clerk and Superior Court.

• Kitsap County is scheduled to convert from SCOMIS to

Odyssey on November 1, 2017.

• The Clerk’s Office present Document Management System

(DMS) is no longer supported and needs to be replaced by new, third-party software or by the State DMS that comes with Odyssey.

• The Clerk, Superior Court, and Information Services are

working together to make these transitions as painless as possible for all involved.

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In Summary

• For Department 09 – Clerk Services, our 2017 request

is a status quo request in staff, supplies and services.

• Small changes we need to make each year in special

computers, printers, desks, supplies, we manage and absorb from our regular, on-going budget allocations.

• The Board is aware that one item under Jury Services

fluctuates depending on juries needed and is basically

• ut of our direct control.
• If this item is underspent, the unspent budgeted

amount is returned to the general fund. If it is

• verspent, a 4th Quarter Budget amendment is

submitted.

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Questions?

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