Budget battle brews between city administration, judges

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Youngstown Mayor Jay Williams

YOUNGSTOWN —In the looming budget battle, the lines between city administrators and judges are clear.

The city’s judicial branch is overstaffed and inefficient compared to other municipal courts in the state, city administrators say.

And, they charge, the refusal by the judges to change how they operate is causing a drain on the city’s already ailing finances.

The judges see the situation differently.

Court employees are overworked and additional help is desperately needed, judges say. And the judicial branch has kept its spending in check, unlike other aspects of the city budget.

Any resolution between the two views might well emanate from a courtroom.

The administration is bringing this issue to the forefront, Mayor Jay Williams said, because of the judges’ request to create new jobs while the city is reducing its payroll. Also, the judges decided to hire an attorney — using city money — as they consider legal action requiring the construction of a new, $10 million-plus court facility.

“I won’t bankrupt the city to build a new court,” Williams said.

Read the full story Monday in The Vindicator and on Vindy.com.