Like others hit hard by the recession, the Macomb County Clerk's office, in Michigan, was forced to make tough decisions. But when faced with setbacks, we respond boldly. We refuse to be among those "cold and timid souls who know neither victory or defeat" in Theodore Roosevelt's words. We innovate. Macomb County, Michigan is now one of only 67 counties nationwide to earn a AAA bond rating from Standard & Poor's.

One way we innovate is to use Google Apps for Government to improve service and save money. In the past it could be be disruptive for court clerks to receive phone calls while court was in session as they were helping judges work through their dockets. But some matters require immediate attention in order to avoid further delays. Google Chat makes it easy for court clerks to instantly get information without disrupting the docket flow and reduces in-coming phone calls and walk-up requests. AS a web-based service, Google Chat enables clerks to work from any courtroom, or back office, without requiring a complicated workstation setup or changes. 

Over 19,000 jurors annually pass through the Macomb County Court Building. Keeping jurors informed on the Web is important since the jury room has only 1.5 full-time staff. In the past, special Web publishing software was required and updates would only be posted during a pre-scheduled "push" of Web content to the county's Web server. Urgent updates, such as when trials settle at the last minute or if there is inclement weather, commonly required a phone call for manual IT support. Now, using Google Presentations that we've integrated into our website, jury clerks can post juror updates from any location and any device, without the expense of separate Web publishing software, and updates are visible within minutes on the jury room Web page. As a result, jurors get better service and the county can spend less on Web publishing software.

Our union staff provides services supporting many constitutional rights, including the right to a jury of one's peers. That's the product we deliver daily. We are government of the people by the people and for the people. We are the Macomb County Clerk's office. And we've gone Google.