Judge Dellick makes case for extra $350K

The board of elections requested from commissioners more than $1.6 million.
By KANTELE FRANKO
VINDICATOR staff writer
YOUNGSTOWN -- Judge Theresa Dellick of Mahoning County Juvenile Court cited an increasing number of hearings and the need to prevent juveniles from becoming repeat offenders when asking county commissioners for an extra $350,000 compared to her court's 2005 budget.
Any amount less than the requested $6.5 million "will jeopardize public safety," the judge said during her budget hearing Wednesday with commissioners.
The costs of paying detention and court employees and covering hospitalization and unemployment fees compose nearly three-quarters of that budget, totaling about $4.7 million.
Wages for detention employees form the largest part of the budget at 38.15 percent, or about $2.48 million, while court employees account for 16.8 percent, or about $1.1 million. Hospitalization and unemployment cost 17.5 percent of the budget, about $1.14 million.
The juvenile court system also needs more funding because of increasing workloads. This year, the court conducted 25,376 hearings, compared with about 24,000 in 2004, court administrator Anthony D'Apolito said.
In the probation department, 11 probation officers are handling an average of 61 cases each -- twice the national average -- to track the 675 juveniles on probation. The judge praised those officers for achieving a 91 percent success rate of defendants who were not repeat offenders.
Area youth face an especially high risk for delinquency because of the county's higher-than-average poverty and unemployment compared to other Ohio counties, Judge Dellick said, adding that children not exposed to a normal childhood should not be expected to become normal adults if their negative childhood experiences are not properly addressed.
Judge Dellick said her team has drawn $2.5 million in outside grants and other funds, but requires more funding to maintain programs that target juvenile crime levels in the county, which are double the state and national averages for juvenile crime.
Disturbing scenario
Trends in the county's average juvenile offenders show they are becoming younger and more violent, and many have a history of mental or learning disabilities, she added.
Offenders who do not receive appropriate treatment and early intervention during adolescence are likely to become the next decade's violent adult offenders, D'Apolito said.
Several juvenile court employees, consultants and partners spoke on behalf of the judge's position and covered a variety of topics, ranging from the psychological effects of childhood trauma and rehabilitation to the need for more building space to expand detention and program facilities.
Commissioner Anthony Traficanti appeared supportive of the presentation. "The money we spend will dictate the safety of this community," he said.
What elections officials want
Meanwhile, county elections board officials requested more than $1.6 million to fund elections in 2006 at their budget hearing.
The request is about $216,000 more than the 2005 budget primarily because next year's midyear election will comprise more races, including those for governor and other state offices, board director Tom McCabe said.
The purchase of two new printers, increased costs for maintenance and poll workers, and higher printing costs significantly contribute to the budget increase.
McCabe also talked with commissioners about a proposed agreement with the state to receive $2.8 million in reimbursement for the $3.7 million the county spent to buy new voting equipment three years ago.
About $924,000 of that settlement would go toward upgrading current equipment and buying a new voter registration system to comply with federal law, McCabe said.