Out of more than $700,000 in unpaid Adams County court payments, the Adams County circuit clerk’s office has collected $56,000 this year.

Circuit Clerk M.L. &uot;Binkey&uot; Vines gave an update on the collections Wednesday at the Rotary Club meeting at the Ramada Inn Hilltop.

In recent months, the circuit clerk’s office has worked with local judges and made more of an effort to collect these payments.

The payments date back five to seven years and are mostly unpaid court costs, restitution costs, fines and attorneys’ fees from felony cases in circuit court.

During Wednesday’s meeting, Vines also brought club members up-to-date on other financial happenings in the circuit clerk’s office:

The office is returning about $77,000 in unpaid employment garnishments to the people entitled to the funds.

4 The office is looking into rolling over about $60,000 in cost-bonds to the county’s general fund.

Vines said the money represents the county’s 50 percent share of appeals costs when cases move from Natchez Municipal Court to Adams County Court.

Vines said he hopes measure like this will help the county avoid tax increases in the future.

The office is evaluating the location of county voting precincts. For example, accidents sometimes occur at the Bypass fire station on John R. Junkin Drive, Vines said.

Through a order signed by Judge Forrest &uot;Al&uot;&160;Johnson, the office is establishing an evidence room at the courthouse.

The office is also looking at ways to provide poll worker training and setting up measures to clean the voter rolls.