The area hardest hit is that worked by the file clerks. They have to manually place each piece of paper coming into the office into a paper file kept in addition to the electronic records.

That can be hundreds of papers per day, Sexton said.

She said she plans to pull people from the front office for a portion of the day to help with the filing.

In addition to the personnel cuts Sexton faces, the state has ordered her office to cut:

• All of the $4,300 budgeted for computer training.

• $1,000 from the $1,500 the amount budgeted for books and records.

• All of the $7,248 budgeted for postage machine rental.

• $4,000 from the $47,284 for copy machine maintenance.

Some of the equipment involved is under contracts that have not expired, she said. The postage and copy machines not only serve her office but are used by all the judges in the courthouse, she said.

Whether Sexton’s office gets an additional employee from the county is up in the air until the county budget is made and that could be two months or more.

Glen Scott, county treasurer, said he expects the county’s interest earnings from its investments to be down about $150,000 from the fiscal year just ended.

The county has reduced personnel over the last several years, and most offices have not had a budget increase for some time.

However, the county’s fiscal health is fairly good, especially when compared to some of the state’s other counties, Scott said.

Reach Liz McMahan at 684-2926 or lmcmahan @muskogeephoenix.com.