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A Message from the President
I am pleased to begin the President’s Message with some welcome news. The Judicial Conference of the United States did not approve a three-year moratorium on court funding of travel by employees to attend learning and development activities provided by private associations. This reaffirmed one of the basic tenets of decentralized court budgets, which allows the local court to determine the best way to administer allotted funds. The decision allows courts to fund attendance for staff members at education and training programs sponsored by private associations such as the NCBC.
The courts were already operating with reduced budgets at the beginning of fiscal year 2013. The sequestration that took effect on March 1, 2013 has forced the courts to maintain operations while absorbing an additional reduction to their fiscal year 2013 budgets. This has resulted in a need to reduce staff in some courts by the use of furloughs or layoffs. Other courts have had to modify their spending plans to stay within budgeted allotments. Current and future budget cutbacks will severely test the ability of the courts to maintain the high level of service to the public that has become the standard.
While being mindful of the negative effects of the budget reductions, the National Conference of Bankruptcy Clerks continues to see a need for training court staff. As court staffs continue to shrink, the need for a motivated, well trained staff becomes even more important. Education continues to be part of the NCBC’s mission. With that in mind, planning for the 2013 Annual Conference scheduled to be held in Baltimore, Maryland from August 12 to 15 continues. I strongly urge our members to attend the conference. It is a great way to enhance your skills and knowledge while meeting NCBC members from other courts.
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John Horner
President
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