How Your Clerk’s Office is Part of the County’s Checks and Balances

As your Clerk, I have the privilege of serving as the protector of Palm Beach County’s public records and tax money. My office has more than 1,000 constitutional duties, many of which are established to support other county government offices. This division of duties, or separation of powers, provides an important safety net for everyone in our community.

Having government roles and responsibilities split in this way ensures that no single office has concentrated power.

For example, judges and other agents of the court are not tasked with holding and maintaining evidence or court records. Instead, the Clerk’s office secures evidence until needed at trial, prepares and stores records of all criminal and civil cases and supervises the processing of any court fines. This helps to ensure fair and balanced judicial proceedings.

In another example, the Clerk’s office maintains Palm Beach County’s Official Records, which includes deeds and mortgages, tax liens and claims against estates, maps, plats and subdivisions. We work with the Property Appraiser’s office to provide an independent reference of properties and a public library of those documents.

My duties as your Clerk also include serving as Chief Financial Officer, Treasurer and Auditor of Palm Beach County. Our finance and investment teams make sure that your tax money is spent and invested wisely. We audit and pay all County government expenses, manage the County’s investment portfolio and provide financial reports to the public and the Board of County Commissioners.

If you are interested in exploring more about what the Clerk’s office has to offer, I encourage you to visit our website at https://www.mypalmbeachclerk.com/services

Regards,

Joseph Abruzzo
Clerk of the Circuit Court & Comptroller