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Judge to give Girard $300K
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Girard Municipal Court Judge Michael Bernard
By LINDA M. LINONIS
GIRARD
Christmas arrives a bit early for the city as a substantial amount of money will be transferred from Girard Municipal Court to the city’s treasury.
Judge Michael A. Bernard said the figure should be between $300,000 and $325,000, the exact amount to be determined Wednesday, when the transfer is planned.
The windfall didn’t happen by accident; it took foresight and planning by Judge Bernard, who has been on the court bench since 1994.
He devised five special revenue funds, which is money from court costs paid by defendants. They are Computer Fund A, which is for court computer resources; Computer Fund B, which covers the needs of the clerk of courts; Probation Services Fund, which pays for the court’s three probation officers; General/Special Projects Fund, which is earmarked to pay off the court building; and Indigent Driver Alcohol Treatment Account, which benefits those who need treatment but can’t afford it.
Judge Bernard said at the end of November, there was about $488,000 in the five funds, less $65,900 in the drug-treatment fund. That money is used only for that purpose and is administered at the Trumbull County Common Pleas Court level.
Judge Bernard and Mayor James J. Melfi discussed the funds, and the judge also attended a council meeting to talk about it. Both officials saw the money as moving the city another step toward getting out of fiscal emergency, where it has been since 2001.
“The money will go into the city’s general fund for 2010,” Melfi said, adding it will help fund the operation of police and fire departments, recreation and debt reduction.
“What the taxpayers should know is that Judge Bernard runs an efficient court and the citizens of Girard will benefit,” Melfi said.
The city provides security and maintenance for the court. “Mayor Melfi has been a help to the court,” Judge Bernard said.
Judge Bernard said the court’s annual budget of $675,000 for personnel and supplies comes from the general fund. Overall court funds are derived from fines and court costs, which are assessed according to an established structure.
The judge said a portion of the court revenue goes to the state, a portion to the county, and the city gets the highest amount. “We keep none of the money except for the revenue funds,” Judge Bernard said.
Judge Bernard’s term ends Dec. 31, 2011; he has announced he will not seek re-election. Since the court addition and city building renovation in 2000, Judge Bernard said he saw $1.6 million of the total cost as a “court obligation.” City offices occupy about 65 percent of the administration building and the court, 35 percent.
Judge Bernard said after the transfer of funds on Wednesday, he figures the court has about $200,000 left of what he sees as the debt to pay off the court addition. He noted his goal was to take care of the debt so a new judge would not be burdened by it.
Besides the city, Girard Municipal Court has jurisdiction over Hubbard city and township, and Liberty and Vienna townships. Traffic, civil and small claims cases are on its docket.