COUNTY SAYS NO TO COURTHOUSE CLERKS

Circuit Court Judge Larry Anderson recently requested that the Houston County Commission help save courthouse clerks from facing unemployment at the end of November due to more state budget cuts. Well, the commission made a final decision to deny Andersons request at todays commission meeting. Commissioner Bobby Snellgrove says he understands the clerks office is well under staffed and will suffer a tremendous loss if more jobs are cut, but says the county is in no position to fund jobs that should be funded by the state. "Right now were supplementing 9 individuals in the courthouse, at about $60,000.00 a year, there`s judges, court reporters and people out of the DA`s office, and Ive been against this since I came on board. Its Houston County taxpayer dollars funding state agencies. This should be coming from the state, not Houston County taxpayers," says Snellgrove. Monies requested by Anderson are funds from the courthouse deferred prosecution plan, which the state legislature originally budgeted to aid in juvenile services. Anderson says he plans to go before the Dothan City Commission and state board with the same request.