HD54 - Report on the Minimum Criteria for Clerks of Circuit Court Career Development Programs


Executive Summary:
The 2005 General Assembly directed the Compensation Board to develop a career development plan (CDP) for Clerks. A committee comprised of Compensation Board staff, representatives from the Auditor of Public Accounts and Supreme Court, and elected Clerks was formed to develop the criteria for participation in the plan. The adopted plan sets the following criteria for participation in the career development program: the Clerk must achieve and maintain the “Certified Virginia Circuit Court Executive” designation from the National Center of State Courts; a minimum number of training hours based upon office size must be achieved by the Clerk’s employees each year; the Clerk must certify the adoption of certain administrative policies; the locality’s most recent audit report must contain no findings of material financial weakness under the direction of the Clerk (effective July 1, 2006); the Clerk must have a written performance standards for each major duty of the office which exceed minimum requirements found in the Code of Virginia; and the Clerk must have a written Customer Service Policy.

If the General Assembly wishes to make the CDP available to all Clerks of the Circuit Court, the estimated salary and fringe benefits costs necessary to provide a 9.3% salary increase is $908,044 (GF) each year. (The estimate is for 117 Clerks as the Code allows the cities of Richmond, Roanoke, and Newport News to retain all Clerks’ fees and pay all Clerks’ expenses.)

It is assumed that approximately 28% of Clerks will be eligible to participate the first year and 33% the second year at the estimated salary and fringe benefits cost of $254,252 in FY07 and $299,655 in FY08.