GIRARD City profits from court frugality

Judge Bernard combined some employee responsibilities to save money.
By TIM YOVICH
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
GIRARD -- Girard Municipal Court was able to stabilize its financial well-being in 2003 by increasing revenue and decreasing expenses, its annual report says.
Judge Michael A. Bernard reported that during the year, the court gave the city $228,123 more than what the court received from the city.
The judge pointed out that the court delivered $888,226 in 2003. The expenditures paid by the city were $660,103, resulting in $228,123 to the city.
In 2003, the court gave an additional $125,000 to the city in hopes the city would be able to continue its ambulance service.
Mayor James J. Melfi terminated the city-operated ambulance service at the end of last year.
In comparing 2002 with 2003, Judge Bernard wrote that the court increased revenue paid to the city by $34,422 and decreased expenses to the city by $51,103, which was more than $85,525 over 2002.
He pointed to a number of factors.
Two full-time clerks left in 2003 and were not replaced. In 2002, the clerk of courts was fired and not replaced.
The civil deputy clerk became the clerk of courts and performed the duties of both positions. In March 2003, a second civil deputy clerk resigned, and the court filled that position with a deputy clerk who performed secretarial services for the judge.
Then, Judge Bernard explained, he moved the court's reporter and assignment commissioner into the secretary's office and required her to perform secretarial services in addition to other duties.
The new civil deputy clerk quickly assumed her duties, and the new secretary is performing three functions -- secretary, court reporting and assignments.
About the decrease
On the downside, the judge reported, court costs collected by the civil division fell by $13,926, a 4-percent dip. In addition, satisfaction of judgments collected by the civil division fell by $37,658, a 16-percent decrease.
Judge Bernard attributed the total $50,984 decrease in costs and judgments to the loss of a civil division worker for 75 percent of the year.
"The bottom line is losing one clerk for three quarters of one year caused a loss of revenue in a sum greater than what the employee costs to employ. One can only conclude that ... blindly reducing head count without weighing the equities will only lead to financial failure," the judge wrote.
Judge Bernard called attention to a change in state law that resulted in the city's loosing $19,606, or 19 percent, in fines generated in Ohio State Highway Patrol arrests.
Previously, the city received 45 percent of OSHP fines collected by the court. Now, the city receives 40 percent.
"Adding insult to injury," the judge said, the city is required by law to pay 1/2 percent of this money to the Trumbull County Law Library.
As advised in the past, Judge Bernard suggested the city take steps to change this law.
The total number of cases filed in court in 2003 was 10,352, an increase of 611 cases over 2002, or a 6-percent increase.
This increase, the judge pointed out, is attributable to the court's traffic division since it received 693 more cases in 2003 that it did the previous year.
yovich@vindy.com