Clerk of Courts
The Florida Constitution established a Clerk and Comptroller as an elected public trustee in 1838. The functions and duties of the Clerk and Comptrollers vary from state to state, however the main role of a Clerk and Comptroller is to perform a wide range of record keeping, information management, and financial management for the judicial system and County government. The Clerk also serves as the Ex-Officio Clerk of the Board of County Commissioners, auditor, recorder, and custodian of County funds.
Our current Clerk and Comptroller is John A. Crawford. A lifelong resident of Northeast Florida, Mr. Crawford is a proud Army National Guard Veteran. Before serving as Clerk, Mr. Crawford owned and operated Crawford Financial Group in Nassau County. As a public servant, Mr. Crawford has made it his mission to improve the lives of citizens in Nassau County by offering the highest quality customer service and effective cost control. He was originally elected as Clerk in 2005 and has been re-elected to this position every four years since then.
Mr. Crawford has no shortage in responsibilities. As Clerk of the Circuit and County Court, Mr. Crawford has a variety of duties including, but not limited to, processing civil and criminal cases, overseeing jury management, conducting foreclosure sales, assisting in completing paperwork needed for small claims and protective injunctions, processing child support payments, and maintaining custody of evidence and exhibits entered by the court.
As the Recorder of Deeds, Mr. Crawford maintains a public records library, collects and disburses intangible taxes, records and indexes deeds and mortgages, processes tax deed applications and sales, and collects and disburses documentary stamp monies.
As the Clerk to the Board of County Commissioners, Mr. Crawford maintains custody of all County resolutions, ordinances and contracts. His office is also responsible for maintaining and distributing official meeting minutes.
As the Accountant of Public Funds, Mr. Crawford provides accounting services to all the departments under the Board of County Commissioners, provides financial reporting to Federal and State agencies, processes county payroll, and provides an accounting system for the Board.
As County Auditor, Mr. Crawford conducts a pre-audit on all expenditures, reviews proposed contracts before adoption, and conducts internal post-audits to determine if financial controls are sufficient.
Other common duties of the Clerk & Comptroller include issuing marriage licenses, issuing of home solicitation permits, and oversight of the County's Records Center.... just to name a few!
We appreciate everything that Mr. Crawford does not only for the Board of County Commissioners but for the citizens of Nassau County. To learn more about the Clerk's Office, visit www.nassauclerk.com.
-Sabrina Robertson
Public Information Officer