F R O M T H E C L E R K O F C O U R T & C O M P T R O L L E R V i c t o r D. C r i s t –
H i l l s b o r o u g h C o u n t y C l e r k o f C o u r t & C o m p t r o l l e r
Clerk’ s office and usf Credit union harness ai to save taxpayers $ 6 Million
the groundbreaking collaboration sets a new standard for public service innovation.
A Clerk’ s Office collaboration with a volunteer team at the University of South Florida’ s Credit Union is projected to save Hillsborough County taxpayers $ 6 million dollars. This initiative combined human expertise with cutting-edge artificial intelligence, delivering results that redefine efficiency in government operations.
The savings result from employees donating their time to evaluate the county’ s banking service agreement while utilizing AI to augment their human expertise. But the story isn’ t just about technology; it’ s about the people who used the innovative tool. AI provided speed and scale, while human judgement ensured accuracy, fairness, and integrity.
The dynamic, rapidly unfolding story of AI being implemented across many different professional spaces proved true here as well: AI is only as good as the humans using the innovative tool.
“ USF Credit Union exists to serve its members and community, and this project reflects that mission at its best. I’ m incredibly proud of our team for applying their expertise and emerging technology in a way that delivers real, measurable value for Hillsborough County residents,” said USF CU President and CEO Richard“ Rick” Skaggs.
The team’ s meticulous 100-page analysis prompted the county to change its banking vendor. Every AI-generated score, reference, and citation was verified
by human reviewers, resulting in one of the most thorough reports I have ever reviewed. This collaboration illuminated the best banking relationship fit for the county, an outcome that will save taxpayers $ 1 million annually over the next six years.
To honor this achievement, the Clerk’ s Office presented USF’ s Credit Union with the 2025 Outstanding Service Award. Their work exemplifies how public and private sectors can collaborate to deliver quantifiable benefits for the community.
The success of this project also underscores a broader vision— modernizing technology to accelerate critical processes and maximize efficiency. As we move forward in 2026, improving and streamlining financial functions remains a top priority because innovation isn’ t just a buzzword; it’ s a responsibility. n
Learn more about the Clerk of Court’ s services at hillsclerk. com.
1 4 M A r- A p r 2 0 2 6 | H C B A L A W Y E r