Thomas County; Probate Court; authorize assessment and collection of a technology fee

New technology fee for Thomas County filers

Thomas County Probate Court can charge a technology fee for each civil action filing. The probate judge sets the fee, which cannot exceed $10 per filing. The money can only fund court technology: computer hardware and software purchases; hardware leasing, maintenance, and installation; and imaging, scanning, fax, communications, projection, and printing equipment and software. The clerk must keep the money in a separate account, subject to audit by an auditor the county governing authority approves. After the court determines a surplus exists, the judge can declare it and transfer it to the county governing authority. The judge can declare a surplus only once per year. Fee authority ends July 1, 2031, and leftover money remains dedicated to general Thomas County technology uses.