Facing a budget shortfall of $108 million, Florida’s courts have made a request to Gov. Rick Scott for emergency funding of $46 million to help fill a budget gap.
The financial gap, in large measure stems from a drop-off in filing fees arising from the slowdown in mortgage foreclosures.
Supreme Court Chief Justice Canady, in a letter to Scott on Wednesday, requested a temporary transfer of $45.6 million from general revenues into a trust fund specifically set up to pay for the court system.
A spokesperson for the governor’s office said Scott had not yet received the letter and would not comment, reports the News Service of Florida.
In a separate communication to Rep. Denise Grimsley, (R-Sebring) and Sen. J.D. Alexander, (R-Lake Wales), key writers of the state budget, Canady informed of his request to Scott, noting that the $45.6 million would help fund the courts through March 2012.
