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Home > Blogs > Butler County News and Issues > Archives > 2009 > November > 30 > Entry
Courts too busy to cut in budget crunch
Business is brisk despite recession —Â in fact, largely because of it —Â in the Butler County judicial system, according to local court leaders.
And that makes it nigh impossible to make requested cuts to local court budgets, judges and the county prosecutor told commissioners in budget hearings Monday, Nov. 30.
Butler County Common Pleas Court has the largest court budget, and proposed maintaining it at nearly $5.4 million after cuts made earlier this year.
“I just don’t see how we can cut any more money,” Judge Michael Sage told commissioners, saying the cuts pared his budget down below 2004 levels.
The court handled 9,039 cases that year, compared to 11,400 so far this year, Sage said. Criminal cases alone have spiked from 3,092 in 2007 to 3,373 this year.
“I think it’s economy related,” Sage said.
County Prosecutor Robin Piper took a similar stance, saying he cut roughly $148,319 from his budget this year. Commissioners — staring at a projected $6.6 million deficit next year — asked Piper to cut more than $400,000 from his current $4.1 million budget.
But it can’t be done while meeting his statutory responsibilities, Piper argued, offering that his attorneys make less than those in surrounding jurisdictions.
Piper bolstered his argument with evidence in the form of letters from the local Fraternal Order of Police, the Butler County Chiefs of Police Association, local police departments and other agencies warning against deep cuts.
“The increase in crime and the resulting perception of criminals having free rein in our communities will have a deleterious effect on property values, quality of life, and even the psyche of Butler County residents,” said a letter from Fairfield Twp. Police Chief Richard St. John as president of the police chiefs association.
That letter also warned against cuts at the sheriff’s office and juvenile court.
And Piper presented a witness Monday.
“I’d hate for us to begin to suffer…successful prosecution-wise for lack of funds,” Oxford Police Chief Stephan Schwein told commissioners, saying his visit was unsolicited by Piper.
One of the few court agencies to make the requested cuts was county Clerk of Courts Cindy Carpenter. This, despite civil case filings — including domestic violence —Â being at an all-time high.
Carpenter, who is also a candidate for county commissioner, reduced her budget next year to just under $1.6 million, which is $62,466 more than she was asked to cut.
Submitted budgets from offices county-wide leave commissioners roughly $5.3 from their goal with less than a month left in the year.
How do you think they should get there?
Permalink | Comments (7) | Post your comment | Categories: County budget
Comments
By Man in Blue
December 1, 2009 1:43 PM | Link to this
The Butler county Police Chiefs Association should change its name to the Rick Jones Fan Club. All the association does is write letters and back the sheriff on every ill conceived idea the Big Boss has.
By Smiling Bob
December 1, 2009 1:57 PM | Link to this
Hey Donnie Boy; I don’t think they read your letter. The commissioners send out letters directing departments to cut their budgets so that the county can reduce the overall budget by $5.4 million. A month later all the office holders and department heads have returned their budgets and the county still needs to cut $5.3 million. How does those officials and department head who cut their budgets feel knowing that after they cut the net gain is only $100,000.00, because the favored three BCSO, BOE and CP all increased their budgets.
By Me
December 2, 2009 8:42 AM | Link to this
Before trumpeting Cindy’s budget, understand that she’s still up almost 60% from the ‘03 level, while the Treasurer, Auditor, Recorder, and Domestic Relations are close to those ‘00-‘03 levels.
By concernedagain
December 2, 2009 8:51 AM | Link to this
Do not let this slide under the table !!! Reynolds is trouble: Check out Summit Solutions, Inc. Et Al. Plaintiffs v. James “Jim” Oswald, Et Al. Defendants in Montgomery County, case number 09-7356 where both Reynolds and Oswald are defendants in this case and both agreed to an injunction.
By null
December 2, 2009 10:17 AM | Link to this
What happened to the post about the Roger Reynolds lawsuit in Montgomery County?
By Rebuttal for "ME"
December 3, 2009 7:02 AM | Link to this
Understand this, the 60 percent number is just not true. There is also no mention by this individual in the 200 percent growth of work that the Clerks office has experieced since Cindy took office. I do not believe the other agencies mentioned experinced that much in work volume.
By George
December 3, 2009 12:34 PM | Link to this
Montgomery County court records don’t show the case cited by concernedagain. The last “James Oswald” case was 1992. Are you blowing smoke?