About

Clayton O. Rooks III is the Clerk of Court for Jackson County. He was elected in 2016 for his first term.

Clay was hired by the Honorable Dale Rabon Guthrie in October 2005 to manage all of the accounting and administrative responsibilities of the office. He was appointed as the Chief Deputy of the Clerk of Court in 2011. He is responsible for overseeing the clerk staff and budgeting, as well as supervising the information and financial management for the judicial system and county government. In addition to his nearly 15 years with the Jackson County Clerk of Court, Clay has more than 20 years of experience in public accounting. He has been involved with local government throughout his career.

After graduating from Florida State University in 1985, Clay began his career in Tallahassee as an internal auditor for Anchor Savings Bank and then for the Florida Office of Financial Regulation. In 1988, he moved back to Marianna and began working with Grimsley, Cavin & Company CPAs, and became a partner there in 1998. While with the firm, he audited local governmental entities, non-profit organizations and financial institutions, in addition to preparing tax returns for individuals and corporations. Clay audited many Jackson County governmental agencies and also served as a consultant for the Jackson County Clerk of Court. During his time with the Clerk of Court’s office, Clay has been instrumental in overseeing the transition to both a new internal software system and the county’s implementation of the statewide Florida Courts E-Filing Portal. He continues to work closely with Jackson County residents and local attorneys to ensure that the systems in place continue to provide effective and worthwhile services.

Clay is a Certified Public Accountant licensed in the state of Florida. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from Florida State University and is a graduate of Chipola College and Marianna High School.

Clay is a member of the Optimist Club of Marianna and currently serves as a board member of the Marianna Optimist Youth Foundation. He is also a member of the Florida Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the American Institute of Certified Accountants. He is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and has held various leadership positions within the church. Clay is married to Amy Rooks and they live in Marianna. They have three children: Maggie, who works at a local law firm in Marianna, Clayte who is currently completing his first year of General Surgery residency at the University of Mississippi Medical Center ( Article On Clayte ) , and Mattie, who is an upcoming Junior at Marianna High School. He is the son of the late Clayton “Buddy” Rooks and Elynor Kindig Rooks of Marianna.

Clerks Duties & Services

“A public officer is a public trust. The people have the right to secure and sustain that trust.”

Article I, Section 8, Florida Constitution

The Florida Constitution, which has governed Florida citizens for more than 175 years, established a Clerk & Comptroller as an elected public trustee in 1838 and established at the county level a system of checks and balances that has served the public well. The functions and duties of Clerk & Comptrollers vary from state to state. In most jurisdictions, the Clerk & Comptroller is generally vested with a large number of administrative duties. The Florida Clerk is not only Clerk of the Circuit Court, but also the County Treasurer, Recorder, Auditor, Finance Officer, and Ex-Officio Clerk of the County Commission in most counties.

“There shall be in each county a Clerk of the Circuit Court who shall be selected pursuant to the provisions of Article VIII, Section 1.” Article V, Section 16, Florida Constitution

The Office of the Clerk & Comptroller performs a wide range of record keeping, information management, and financial management for the judicial system and county government. Because the Clerk & Comptroller’s duties affect the rights and property of county citizens, it is essential that the Clerk & Comptroller remain accountable for his or her actions. For this reason, the constitution and statutes require that the Clerk:

  • is governed by statutory authority in carrying out the duties and functions of the office,
  • as auditor and custodian of county funds, is subject to state Auditor General rules and regulations, and
  • is subject to annual audits by independent firms.

Public evaluation and scrutiny in the election process every four years also ensures accountability of your locally elected Clerk & Comptroller.

“The Clerk of the Circuit Court shall be Ex-Officio Clerk of the Board of County Commissioners, Auditor, Recorder and Custodian of all county funds.” Article VIII, Section 1(d), Florida Constitution

The Joint Select Committee on Judicial Personnel of the Florida Legislature calculated that the Clerk & Comptroller’s Office performs 926 different constitutional and statutory functions and duties (this number does not include responsibilities required by court rule and administrative order). The number of tasks continues to grow with changes in legislation, regulations and reporting requirements.

AS CLERK OF THE CIRCUIT AND COUNTY COURT:

  • Attend Court hearings and trials
  • File indictments, information, and verdicts
  • Process all civil and criminal cases
  • Prepare appellate records
  • Jury management
  • Collect and disburse fines, court costs, forfeitures, fees, and service charges
  • Conduct mortgage foreclosure sales
  • Maintain custody of all evidence and exhibits entered by the court
  • Assist in completing paperwork required to file a Small Claims action
  • Assist in completing paperwork required to file petitions for protective injunctions (domestic, repeat, sexual, and dating violence)
  • Issue process service documents
  • Maintain court registry
  • Audit guardianship reports
  • Audit child support payments

AS RECORDER OF DEEDS:

  • Record and index deeds, mortgages, and descriptions of all county property
  • Process tax deed applications and conduct sales
  • Record public defender liens and judgments entered by the court, record tax liens and claims against an estate, instruments of conveyance, agreements, contracts, maps and plats of subdivisions and surveys
  • Maintain a public records library
  • Collect and disburse intangible taxes
  • Collect and disburse documentary stamp monies

AS CLERK TO THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS:

  • Attend meetings of the Board of County Commissioners and committees of the board
  • Produce, record, index and distribute the official minutes of these meetings
  • Maintain legal custody of the Official County Seal
  • Maintain custody of all county resolutions, ordinances, and contracts
  • Process appeals for Value Adjustment Board
  • Attestation

AS ACCOUNTANT AND CUSTODIAN OF COUNTY FUNDS:

  • Provide accounting services to all departments under the Board of County Commissioners
  • Provide an accounting system for all fiscal changes implemented by the Board
  • Handle investments of available county funds
  • Provide financial reporting to the Board and all federal and state agencies
  • Process accounts payable
  • Process the county payroll

AS COUNTY AUDITOR:

  • Pre-audit all County expenditures before payment
  • Review proposed contracts before adoption
  • Conduct internal post-audits to determine if financial controls are sufficient
  • Prepare reports suggesting improvements to management

OTHER DUTIES OF THE CLERK:

  • Issue and record marriage license applications
  • Compile and provide statistical data for state agencies and the judiciary
  • Maintain records storage facilities
  • Process passport applications
  • Issue home solicitation permits