County officials outline Article 5 funding split and continued local support for specialty courts

Chief Judge Crane and county staff briefed Pinellas County commissioners on Article 5 budget responsibilities and local funding choices for the court system.

The county’s analyst Chris explained the high-level split under Article 5 of the state constitution: "facilities and IT are things that counties pay for, and people and judges are what the state pays for," he said, noting exceptions. Chief Judge Crane thanked the commissioners for continued local support and for work to keep courts secure and current with IT systems. She said most requests this…