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OREGON CITY, Or. -- When people fail to pay the court-ordered child support in Clackamas County, rest assured the District Attorney’s Office will come calling.
The District Attorney’s Family Support unit is nominally the most efficient in Oregon when it comes to getting debtors to pay up.
During the last federal fiscal year, the DA’s Office 13-person Family Support team collected $20.32 million while handing 3,741 open cases – a collection rate of 81 percent.
“We have a team of high achievers because they combine technical knowledge with real-world experience and an unwavering commitment to our mission. That unique combination enables our team to turn goals into results and challenges into opportunities,” said Senior Deputy District Attorney Matt Semritc, who oversees the Family Support unit.
“We have two case agents who have been here more than 25 years, a legal assistant with more than years of experience and a legal office supervisor with 15 years of experience,” Semritc said. “We also have the benefit of Deputy District Attorney Jeremy Gibons, who has 25 years in various aspects of child support from case work and policy writing. He went to law school at night and eventually joined our office.
“These folks have been instrumental in training our new employees to enable the office to thrive, even as we bring in new team members,” Semritc said.
Grant funding and performance incentive bonus funding from the federal government covers most of the Family Support unit’s budget. Less than one-third of the unit’s budget comes from the county’s general fund.
“We are proud of the value and service we provide to our community. It wouldn’t be possible without the hard work of our team,” Semritc said.