Jefferson County Clerk Bobbie Holsclaw Deserves Credit For Giving $1.9 Million Surplus From Her Office To County Government. Yes, No?

County clerk Bobbie Holsclaw gives $1.9million surplus to Louisville
Written by Sheldon S. Shafer

Louisville metro government is getting a one-time payment of just over $1.9 million from Jefferson County Clerk Bobbie Holsclaw

for surplus fee collections her office took in during her four-year term that ended Dec. 31.

Steve Rowland, Mayor Greg Fischer's chief financial officer, said officials anticipated Holsclaw's surplus payment and included it in the current fiscal year's budget that ends June 30. The amount was factored into the general fund and was not allocated for any particular item, Rowland said.

Holsclaw, who lost a bid for the Republican nomination for governor in May, began serving her fourth four-year term as county clerk in January. State law requires all county clerks to give any surplus to their local government at the end of every four-year term. If the clerks operate in the red, they are personally responsible for making up any financial deficit.

Holsclaw gave metro government checks for $2.74 million at the start of 2003 after her first term and $2.53 million at the start of 2007 after completing her second term.

Holsclaw's office is funded by a percentage of fee collections that state law authorizes it to keep.