§45-2-220.02. Department of Archives and History established; fees and costs.

(a) The Legislature hereby establishes the Baldwin County Department of Archives and History to facilitate the preservation, conservation, and accessibility of the records of Baldwin County through the operation of the Baldwin County Archives. The Baldwin County Department of Archives and History shall be a separate department of the Baldwin County government under the control of the county commission.

(b) Two dollars ($2) remaining from each three dollar ($3) additional recording fee and up to two dollars ($2) from each additional recording fee imposed by the county commission, as levied and collected pursuant to Section 45-2- 220.05, shall be paid and credited to the special funds as hereinafter described.

(c) In Baldwin County, the Baldwin County Commission may impose, by resolution of the county commission, additional court costs in an amount not to exceed three dollars ($3) which shall be assessed and collected in each criminal and civil court case in the circuit court. The court costs required by this part shall be in addition to all other court costs provided by law.

(d)(1) The filing fees and court costs required by this part shall be collected by the judge of probate and the clerk of the circuit court and shall be paid and credited to the special funds as hereinafter described.

(2) The judge of probate and the circuit clerk shall retain 10 percent of the filing fee and court costs collected by each of them and the proceeds so collected shall be deposited by the official collecting the fee and costs into two separate special funds established in a bank located in Baldwin County to be used by either or both of them for any of the following purposes:

a. Developing, implementing, or operating, or any combination thereof, an improved indexing and records management program.

b. Purchasing or upgrading equipment.

c. Necessary operations.

(3) The remaining balance shall be paid to the Baldwin County Commission and credited to a special fund to be used exclusively for establishing and operating an archives in Baldwin County.

(e) It is the intent of the Legislature that expenditure by the circuit clerk and judge of probate shall be used for facilitating the establishment of the archives as it relates to documents and other items in their respective offices which will become part of the archives.

(Act 98-579, p. 1283, §3; Act 2000-275, p. 437, §1.)