Girard council, court working together

By John W. Goodwin Jr.

Members of council and the court are enjoying a less-tense relationship.

GIRARD — The hard feelings and strained relations between city council and Girard Municipal Court have seemingly been replaced with a desire to work together.

City officials and Judge Michael Bernard, over the past several years, have engaged in heated disputes over court funding and the use of court facilities by city officials. The disagreement over court funding was the basis for a court battle between the judge and city in 2006.

Judge Bernard also banned council from using the court facilities in 2006 — saying he was separating the court from city politics, after city leaders had made disparaging remarks about the court. The city took that matter to court as well. A judge ultimately found in favor of Judge Bernard.

Those problems have now gone away.

Judge Bernard said he cut $110,000 from his budget request to the city for 2008. He said the request for 2008 is about $671,000, down from the 2007 funding amount of $782,000.

Judge Bernard said shaving the dollars from his budget was difficult and involved a considerable amount of consolidation and placing employees “in positions of dual roles,” but the court has been able to manage.

“We are struggling, but with a little burning of the midnight oil, we are able to meet our obligations,” he said.

Judge Bernard also offered the city a “no strings attached” financial offering of $50,000 in 2007. He said the money, taken from various special revenue funds in the court, was meant to help the city recover from fiscal emergency.

“I knew the city wanted to get out of fiscal emergency and I knew that they were close to getting into the black. I saw the cooperation between the court and the city evolving, so I asked if the $50,000 would help. [Auditor] Sam [Zirafi] said it would help, so I agreed to give [the money] to the city,” he said.

Councilman Larry Williams said the combined savings from the reduced court budget and the $50,000 gift from the judge had a good impact on city finances. He said the money will come in handy as the city continues to look at purchasing new cruisers to replace what Police Chief Frank Bigowsky has called an aging and deteriorating fleet.

City council and the judge have also ended the dispute over use of the courtroom. A court decision said the judge did not have to let council have meetings in the room. Following that decision, council passed an ordinance allowing council to use the facilities for meetings. Neither side took the matter any further.

Judge Bernard said he has no objection to council’s using the courtroom. He points to the fact that he initially invited council to use the court when the building housing the court was constructed several years ago. He said the invitation was only rescinded in light of comments and attitudes toward the court.

“I don’t disagree that they should be allowed to use [the courtroom]. The bottom line is, I did want them up there in the first place, and my sentiments have not changed,” he said.

Williams said he is happy that the court and council now have a better relationship. He said there is an open-door policy that did not exist before.

“Right now council is very comfortable working with the judge. He is cooperating with the use of the courtroom, and that was a big issue. He has also said that any councilman can come in and discuss any issue,” said Williams.

jgoodwin@vindy.com