Jeff Barton retired early Tuesday [July 3], six months before his term ends, and passed the position to Clerk-elect Jeff Smith, who now won’t have to wait for his term to start in January. Barton, 69, said he retired early to save five employees from being laid off in a tightened budget. The Legislature recently cut $29.5 million from the state’s 67 county clerk’s offices, leading to an equally distributed 7 percent cut among all counties. That meant $233,103 clipped from Indian River County’s court services budget, prompting Barton last week to cut five vacant positions. He gave up half his $116,853 salary by retiring early after 23 1/2 years. Smith, the previous chief deputy clerk, will assume Barton’s salary, but he said the county will save when he doesn’t replace himself as an $85,000-a-year chief deputy.  (Read Full Article Here)