Public trustee role is foundation of Clerk’s duties
Since its origin in 1909, the office of the Clerk & Comptroller, Palm Beach County has evolved from a small downtown office to an organization with 800 employees in seven locations.
Whether you get married, buy a house, receive a traffic ticket, or simply enjoy the benefits of a county that is financially stable, you have been touched by the services of this highly diverse and complex office.
The third largest of the 67 Clerk’s offices in Florida, the Palm Beach County Clerk & Comptroller performs more than 1,000 different functions and serves a local population of 1.2 million citizens. The Clerk’s website at www.pbcountyclerk.com, containing online access to criminal and civil court records and official county documents, receives more than 1.3 million visits each year. |
The Florida Constitution established the Clerk & Comptroller as a public trustee with diverse duties:
Chief Financial Officer – The county’s accountant, auditor and treasurer, providing “checks and balances” on the county’s budget, revenue and spending.
Clerk of the Court – The service and support center for the county’s court system and custodian of court records.
County Recorder – The custodian of the county’s Official Records Books containing documents such as mortgages, deeds and marriage licenses.
Clerk to the Board of County Commissioners – The keeper of minutes and records for county commission meetings.
These duties to safeguard public funds and records have earned the office the popular nickname of county “watchdog.”
A recipient of the Governor’s Sterling Award for Organizational Performance Excellence and the Corporate Best Practices Not-for-Profit/Government Award for Excellence, Values, Integrity and Ethics in Business, the Clerk & Comptroller’s office uses solid leadership and business models to achieve its vision of world-class service.
Future issues of Your Public Trustee will highlight each the Clerk’s roles. Visit www.pbcountyclerk.com for more information about the Clerk & Comptroller’s office.
Download Clerk & Comptroller brochure.