As a result of state budget cuts, the Lee County Clerk of the Court will cut office hours in Cape Coral.

Effective Nov. 1, the Clerk’s Cape Coral Office at 1039 S.E. 9th Place will be closed on Mondays and Fridays. The Cape office will only be open Tuesday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The decision is the latest of a series of changes forced by a significant loss in revenue, officials said in a release issued Wednesday morning by the Clerk’s Office.

“Reducing the quality of service to our customers is not what we want to be about,” said Clerk of the Court Linda Doggett in a prepared statement. “But this fiscal year your Clerk’s office lost 1.3 million dollars that we need to perform our court-related duties and resulting in a decline of over 20 positions in 2 years.”

Recent state budget cuts for court-related clerk duties are unsustainable, officials said.

The Clerk’s Office recently implemented “several changes to compensate, including combining two customer service counters in the Lee County Justice Center into one on the first floor. But that has not been enough. The lobby is often over-crowded and the wait time is growing,” the release sates.

The decision to close the Cape Office two days per week was made to mitigate these customer wait times.

“Those clerks will work in the Lee County Justice Center office on Mondays and Fridays where the lines are long and filled with people coming from the large court dockets and needing to see the Clerk,” officials said.

The Clerk’s Office is encouraging people to use the online services whenever possible on www.LeeClerk.org,. Among the services offered are the ability to e-file as well as pay traffic fines or child support online. You also can record your public records online using Electronic Recording (eRecording). A complete list and instructions may be found on the Clerk’s website; choose the Online Services tab for details.

“Our dedicated team will continue to focus on solutions and essential services,” Doggett said. “We trust that you will be patient with us as we work to provide adequate service in the best ways possible. In the meantime, we will do our best to achieve sustainable funding with our Florida Legislators. Your voice to our local Legislators can help ensure the Clerk is properly funded for court-related services in Lee County.

“The inconvenience these changes may create for you is certainly regretful. It is our privilege to serve you and it is our goal to serve you better,” she added.