Duval County Clerk of Courts Jim Fuller says he'll pull back a request to hand out nearly $174,000 in bonuses to his employees.

"I didn't think that it should have caused confusion but it looks like it did so we will re-evaluate it," said Fuller.

Questions arose at Tuesday's city council meeting about the incentives, which Fuller says he awarded to 35 employees he felt had done exemplary work.  He says he used state money that he saved in his budget to pay out the bonuses, so he says it never intermingled with local money.

"The people that worked for me went above and beyond, I felt like, the normal operations," Fuller said.

There were also a few eyebrows raised over Fuller including in the recipients of those bonuses eleven people who made donations to Fuller's campaign either this year or in 2008.  Fuller says he thought taxpayers knew him and his character better than that by now.

"Of those 11 people, only two contributed this year to my campaign.  I never ask anybody to contribute to my campaign that works for me.  Ever.  I don't like for them to do it."

As of Wednesday, Fuller was on vacation and said he would be addressing the issue when he returns to town next week.

Jacksonville’s legal office is recommending that the newest round of bonuses for the Clerk of Courts be deferred pending a legal review.

In an email between Employee Services and the Office of the General Council, city employee services raised a question on the legality of these September bonuses because they come so quickly after a series of August bonuses to some of the same employees.Additionally, there is a question over why the bonuses were awarded.Some Florida statutes prohibit payment one-time payment for past performance.A bonus for past services can only be paid by local government entities if a bonus plan is developed.

The email says employee services is planning to review if the payments are appropriate, and OGC stands ready to assist, but meanwhile the OGC recommends the payments be deferred.