Clerk of Courts asks committee to consider pay bump for deputies; court staff recommend $2,500 annual support for free mediation services

Marge, the Clerk of Courts, told the Sawyer County Public Safety Committee that she has submitted a budget request asking the county to consider a pay increase for deputy clerks, arguing the office's starting wages are among the lowest in the 10th Judicial District.

"Out of the 14 counties in the tenth Judicial District, which is what we're a part of, we are third from the bottom in starting wage for deputy clerks," Marge said, adding that not all deputy clerks in the district are deputized in probate and her staff performs multiple functions.

Marge also described a proposal from Judicare (represented at an earlier meeting by Randy Westgate) to provide mediation services for small-claims cases and, potentially beginning after Jan. 1, family mediation for custody and support. Judicare asked for $2,500 per year per branch to offset costs for unlimited mediation; Marge said the organization initially discussed a larger $5,000 figure but would accept $2,500.

She said the mediation service conducts sessions by Zoom (noting that current family mediators conduct by phone) and that mediation has helped parties reach payment agreements and stop accrual of interest in debt-collection cases. Marge said the county could fund the $2,500 from the Clerk of Courts budget if the committee supports it.

The committee acknowledged the work of specific court staff who covered extra duties during a staffing change and did not take an immediate vote on the pay request or the mediation funding; staff will include the items in the preliminary budget process for further committee and board consideration.