Lawmakers: Florida court employees need a pay raise
Florida’s court system is struggling to recruit and retain qualified and experienced professionals. And that’s a problem all Floridians should be concerned about. Courts have a direct effect on our lives. Crime victims are heard. Criminals punished. Families add new members through adoption and couples go their separate ways. Businesses are bought and sold. All in our courts.
To handle this important work, trained court workers are needed. But increasingly they are leaving for higher-paying positions, whether in local or state government or the private sector. When experienced workers leave, the courts are finding they can’t be replaced because starting salaries are too low for key jobs. Sadly, too, an increasing number of veteran workers who value serving the state through their work in the courts are having to supplement their income with second jobs or seek financial assistance just to provide for their families.