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Shelby County criminal court clerk pushes pay increases for 61 low-paid staff and requests technology upgrades
Summary
Criminal Court Clerk Heidi Coombe told the Budget & Finance Committee that 70% of her office earns less than $40,000 and asked the commission to fund pay increases for 61 employees, plus technology investments for research, court analytics and redaction tools.
Heidi Coombe, Shelby County criminal court clerk, told the county Budget & Finance Committee on April 9 that high staff turnover and falling revenues are undermining court operations and that personnel and technology investments are needed to stabilize operations.
Coombe said the office is the custodian of records for nine criminal courts, holds indictments for misdemeanors and felonies, and stores more than one million pieces of evidence. She described a sharp staff turnover: 70 employees hired from February 2001 to January 2025, of whom only 35 remain — a 50% retention failure for that cohort. Coombe said 70% of current staff earn less than $40,000 (and many make below $35,000), and she asked the committee to fund raises that would move…
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