BRADENTON, Fla — The Manatee County Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller and 2021-22 Florida Court Clerks and Comptroller (FCCC) President Angel Colonneso gathered together with fellow Clerks and Comptrollers on Tuesday, July 20, in the historic courtroom within the Manatee Clerk’s Office to present Senator Jim Boyd with the Clerk Legislator of the Year Award for his support of Clerks’ during the 2021 Legislative Session.

Clerk Colonneso was joined by:

Sarasota County Clerk and Comptroller Karen E. Rushing
Hillsborough County Clerk and Comptroller Cindy Stuart
Flagler County Clerk and Comptroller and FCCC Legislative Chair Tom Bexley

Senator Boyd sponsored Senate Bill 838, which was introduced on March 2, 2021, and signed into law by Governor Ron DeSantis on June 17, 2021. The bill authorizes Clerks to carry a reserve, which will help Clerks better manage their funds and cope with budget shortfalls. In addition, it helps reduce driver license suspensions by enhancing payment plan options statewide to encourage timely fulfillment of financial obligations. Finally, it introduces new efficiencies that streamline local jury administrative costs.

“Thank you so much for this honor. It means a lot to me,” said Sen. Jim Boyd at Tuesday’s presentation. “[This award] is a beautiful remembrance of what we did. This [award] is very kind and much more than expected.” Boyd thanked everyone in the room for all their hard work and tireless efforts on behalf of the constituents.

Flagler County Clerk and Comptroller and FCCC Legislative Chair Tom Bexley, speaking to Sen. Boyd, said, “Nobody appreciates or knows our complex issues as well as you. Kudos to your staff, who put the bill in the posture it needed to cross the finish line.” Bexley joked the only problem with Boyd doing as well as he did is people are going to expect him to do it again.

Additional representatives awarded by FCCC this year include:

Senate President Wilton Simpson (Florida Senate District 10) received the Legislative Champion Award
Speaker of the House Chris Sprowls (Florida House District 65) received the Legislative Champion Award
Webster Barnaby (Florida House District 27) who sponsored House Bill 903 Clerks of the Circuit Court received the Clerk Legislative Leadership Award
Charles Wesley “Chuck” Clemons, Sr. (Florida House District 21), who sponsored House Bill 31 Clerks of the Court received the Clerk Legislative Partner Award
Tommy Gregory (Florida House District 73) received the 2021 Clerk Distinguished Advocate Award
Ed Hooper (Florida Senate District 16) who sponsored Senate Bill 382 Clerks of the Court received the Clerk Legislative Partner Award
Keith Perry (Florida Senate District 8) received the Clerk Distinguished Advocate Award

Manatee County Clerk Colonneso shared with FCCC, “We are extremely grateful for the support of our partners in the Florida Legislature. Senate President Simpson, House Speaker Sprowls, Senator Boyd, Senator Hooper, Senator Perry, Representative Gregory, Representative Clemons, and Representative Barnaby are wonderful public servants for Florida. They are each uniquely aware of our role in local government and the intricacies of the issues we face. We are proud to honor them with these awards and look forward to continuing to work with them on commonsense solutions that benefit our shared constituents.”

About the Clerk’s Office

The Clerk of Circuit Court was established as a public trustee by the Florida Constitution in 1838. The Clerk of the Circuit Court serves as the Clerk of Courts, the Clerk of the Board of County Commissioners, Auditor, Recorder, and Custodian of all County Funds. In Manatee County, the Clerk’s office also administers a local child support enforcement program, violence protection advocacy program, and Teen Court programs. Located at 1115 Manatee Avenue West in downtown Bradenton, the Courthouse is open Monday-Friday from 8:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. Please be sure to visit our website at: www.manateeclerk.com.