Vince Dean
Vince Dean, who replaced longtime Criminal Court Clerk Gwen Tidwell, said the office will have a reduction in costs for his first year.
The last Tidwell budget was $1,550,100.
The first Dean budget will be $1,455,844.
Mr. Dean, a former state legislator from East Ridge, said the budget was helped when an employee who works directly for the Criminal Court judges was switched to their budget. He said, "There was an employee on the third floor and we didn't know who she was or what she was doing."
He said he learned that Deborah Fanselau was performing valuable services to the judges, but was under their direction and not the Criminal Court Clerk.
Mr. Dean eliminated one position in the office for additional savings. There are two positions that are vacant and funded, but still unfilled. He said if the office can get by without filling those jobs then there will be more savings.
Mr. Dean praised his staff, saying that some have taken on additional duties as some work has been shifted around.
The new clerk said he has switched office supply firms with a savings of two-thirds the former price. He said he went to a firm on the state contract and also buys some supplies from Sam's Club.
Mr. Dean said he found that documents that came into the office were being copied on an office copy machine and then given to a person who scanned them. He said the copying has been eliminated by using the copy machine to email them to the person who does the scanning. "That saves a lot of paper," he said.
Mr. Dean said some big savings are expected to come from a new state law that allows clerks to charge defendants who go into default on back fines and court costs. The charge would be the amount that a collection agency bills the county to get the money.
He said in the case of a person who owes the court $100 that under the current system the office would pay a collection agency $19.50 to go after the $100. The office would only get $80.50. He said, under that example, in the future the person who owes the court will have to pay the $19.50 and the office will get the full $100.
Mr. Dean said his office has paid collection agencies $60,000 just since Jan. 1.
Cases are not turned over to collection agencies, who get 19.5 percent, until about a year after payments stop.
Mr. Dean said Edna Camp remains at her desk - 54 years after joining the county. He said, "People tell me I could hire three people with the money paid to Edna. But I tell them it would take four to replace her knowledge." Ms. Camp remains as chief deputy clerk.
Brad Tucker is chief of staff hired by Mr. Dean. He has the equivalent position of Mike Griffin, who worked for Ms. Tidwell.
Hunter Kirkpatrick oversees the budget as the lead accountant.
Alicia Merriwether has been moved from administrator of the jail clerk's office to administrator over the General Sessions Court Clerk Criminal Division.
Mr. Dean said that move came after "I noticed how smoothly the operation was working at the jail."
Valerie Overton is assistant at the General Sessions Court Clerk Criminal Division.
Rick Durham, a veteran employee, was moved to the jail clerk's operation.