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Board waives 90-day notice to end Escambia fiscal-agent agreement for e-filing fee collection
Summary
Walton County agreed to waive a 90-day notice period so an interlocal agreement with Escambia County — which has acted as fiscal agent for a circuitwide $2 e-filing technology fee — can terminate effective Sept. 30 so Walton can administer its portion locally.
Walton County commissioners on Tuesday agreed to waive a 90-day notice requirement so an interlocal agreement with Escambia County will terminate effective Sept. 30, 2025, allowing Walton to administer the local portion of a $2 e-filing technology fee locally in the new fiscal year.
Background: The $2 e-filing fee enacted statewide supports court administration technology initiatives and is distributed such that each county retains $1 locally and the remainder is allocated between the state attorney and the public defender as statutorily directed. For the First Judicial Circuit, Escambia County had acted as a fiscal agent to administer procurement and purchasing for the circuit offices; Escambia has requested the interlocal be terminated so each county administers the fee itself.
Board action and rationale: County staff recommended waiving the 90-day notice so Walton’s agreement would end on Sept. 30 instead of after the 90-day window (which would have extended into the new fiscal year). Commissioners voted to waive the notice and terminate the interlocal effective Sept. 30, 2025. County staff said the change will let Walton manage its own $1 portion of the fee and avoid splitting administration across fiscal years.
Ending: The board’s action was procedural and aims to streamline local administration of e-filing fee proceeds beginning with the new fiscal year; staff will implement the termination with Escambia County and prepare county-level administration steps.
