TRIAL COURTS Fund 0060 General, Department 201 Lawrence G
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TRIAL COURTS Fund 0060 General, Department 201 Lawrence G. Lees, County Administrative Officer PROGRAM DESCRIPTION The “Lockyer-Isenberg Trial Court Funding Act of 1997" (AB233), Chapter 850, became effective on January 1, 1998. The legislation finds and declares that the judiciary of California is a separate and independent branch of government, recognized by the Constitution and statutes of the State. The Legislature has previously established the principle that the funding of trial court operations California Rules of Court (CRC 810) is most logically a function of the state. Such funding is necessary to provide uniform standards and procedures, economies of scale, and structural efficiency and simplification. This decision also reflects the fact that the overwhelming business of the trial courts is to interpret and enforce provisions of state law and to resolve disputes among the people of the State of California. The County transferred responsibility for five court facilities to the Judicial Council of California, Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC), on December 17, 2008. The County is the managing party in three facilities: Burney Joint Use Building, Justice Center, and Juvenile Hall. The AOC is the managing party in the Main Courthouse and Courthouse Annex. A Joint Occupancy Agreement and Memorandum of Understanding between the County and the AOC memorialize the party’s roles and responsibilities. The County is obligated to pay the AOC an annual County Facility Payment (currently $457,370), to offset the Court’s historical expense for operations and maintenance of the court facilities. The expenses remaining in this budget unit are considered County costs under the rules of “trial court funding.” This includes court facilities, maintenance of effort (MOE) responsibilities, debt payment on courthouse renovation and justice center construction, and the costs associated with the collection division. They also include the County Facility Payment (CFP) and revenues received from the AOC for the Court’s share of operations and maintenance in the facilities managed by the County. Starting in FY 2010-11, this budget also includes costs to relocate staff from the Public Safety Building. Other Revenue consists of fines, fees, and forfeitures collected pursuant to various legislative codes and retained by the County. BUDGET REQUESTS The costs remaining in the County’s Court budget are for non-CRC 810 costs. This includes court facilities, the maintenance of effort (MOE) allocation, debt payments on the Justice Center facility and the Courthouse renovation project, inmate transportation, and all costs associated with the collection division. In December 2008 the County transferred responsibility for 5 court facilities to the Administrative Office of the Courts. The County Facility Payment (CFP) is $457,370. Total requested appropriations for FY 2011-12 are $3.7 million. Since FY 2009-10, revenues have declined over $350,000, a symptom of the continuing economic downturn which affects the public’s ability to pay court fines and fees. Requested revenues are $3.2 million. This budget unit has historically returned resources to the General Fund. The requested budget will not return resources, and will require a net county cost of $474,629. This is largely due to the continuing decline in revenues, and the addition of $1 million to relocate staff from the Public Safety Building. SUMMARY OF RECOMMENDATIONS The CAO recommended budget is as requested by the department head, with two exceptions: 1) Transfers $100,000 to the Land Building and Improvements budget unit for costs associated with County due diligence for the sale of the Public Safety Building and adjacent parking to the State for locating a new Redding Courthouse Building; and 2) appropriates $25,000 for a Wireless Bridge System, a point-to-point wireless system to bypass the Public Safety building for network connectivity to CalWORKS and the Redding Police Department. 105 PENDING ISSUES AND POLICY CONSIDERATIONS The nuance of the transfer of responsibility for the Court facilities is still unclear. We have little history on which to project the operations and maintenance charges for the facilities and the receipt of revenue from the AOC for the same. Amendments to this budget may be necessary as the year progresses. The AOC received site selection approval for the New Redding Courthouse from the State Public Works Board with respect to a 4.8 acre site, which is comprised of parcels of real property owned by Shasta County and private parties. County parcels are comprised of the Public Safety Building, which is commonly known as 1525 Court Street, and the surface parking. In preparation for vacating the Public Safety Building, the CAO appropriated funds for a records destruction process to reduce storage requirements. The Probation Department and the Sheriff have been actively engaged in records management throughout the 2010-11 fiscal year. Additionally, Information Technology has been planning for the relocation of the telecommunications link between the Public Safety Building, the Court, City of Redding Police Department, and CalWORKS. CAO staff have been working to secure office space for the Sheriff and Probation until such time as they can move into the main courthouse and annex once the Court has vacated. The third floor of the Public Safety Building has been vacant since the District Attorney moved to newly remodeled offices in June 2010. Future budgets will be impacted by the need to provide alternative office space for both Probation and Sheriff staff and operations during the construction of the new courthouse and the remodel of the existing courthouse. The Court will exchange their equity interest in the Main Courthouse/Courthouse Annex and the Justice Center (retaining their equity interest in the Court parking), for the County’s equity in the Public Safety Building and parking parcels. The Court will owe the County $710,000, less any cost to deliver the site to the AOC clean of all encumbrances. This revenue is not budgeted pending resolution of the Property Acquisition Agreement between the AOC and the County. DEPARTMENT HEAD CONCURRENCE OR APPEAL This budget was prepared by, and is recommended by, the County Administrative Office. 106 REVENUES AND EXPENDITURES STATE OF CALIFORNIA BUDGET UNIT FINANCING DETAIL BUDGET FOR THE FISCAL YEAR 2011-2012 ACTUAL ADJUSTED ESTIMATED BUDGET CAO DIFFERENCE STATE CONTROLLER EXP/REV BUDGET EXP/REV REQUESTS RECOMMENDS CAO 11-12 COUNTY BUDGET ACT (1985) 2009-10 2010-11 2010-11 2011-12 2011-12 RQST 11-12 =============================================== ============ ============ ============ ============ ============ =========== UNIT TITLE: 201 TRIAL COURTS FUNCTION: PUBLIC PROTECTION ACTIVITY: JUDICIAL FUND:0060 GENERAL SALARIES AND BENEFITS 201 018501 WORKERS COMP EXPERIENCE 0 3,121 0 11,468 11,468 0 ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ TOTAL SALARIES AND BENEFITS $0 $3,121 $0 $11,468 $11,468 $0 SERVICES AND SUPPLIES 201 032590 CHGS FAC MGMT COMM 276 312 312 330 330 0 201 033103 INSUR XP MISCELLANEOUS 13,272 10,131 10,128 9,724 9,724 0 201 033700 MAINTENANCE OF STRUCTURES 64,036 70,000 70,000 70,000 70,000 0 201 033791 CHGS FAC MGMT MAINT STR 133,127 167,520 122,322 155,659 155,659 0 201 034309 MISC XP PRIOR PERIOD REV ADJ 8,266 0 0 0 0 0 201 034800 PROF & SPECIAL SERVICES 88,002 91,920 99,923 93,000 93,000 0 201 034811 PROF COLLECTIONS SVS 201,288 185,000 178,971 182,000 182,000 0 201 035100 RENTS & LEASES OF EQUIPMENT 202 203 0 81 81 0 201 035700 SPECIAL DEPARTMENTAL EXPENSE 0 50,000 200,000 1,000,000 875,000 -125,000 201 035990 CHGS FLEET TRANS/TRVL 12,243 15,000 15,069 15,000 15,000 0 201 036100 UTILITIES 182,554 186,519 184,429 184,793 184,793 0 ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ TOTAL SERVICES AND SUPPLIES $703,267 $776,605 $881,154 $1,710,587 $1,585,587 $-125,000 OTHER CHARGES 201 050001 CENTRAL SERVICE COST A-87 14,763 13,904 13,904 7,996 7,996 0 201 050003 BUILDING & EQUIPMENT USE A-87 57,009 -44,750 -44,750 -48,450 -48,450 0 201 051391 CONTR TO STATE OF CALIFORNIA 1,447,631 1,499,154 1,499,155 1,366,753 1,366,753 0 ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ TOTAL OTHER CHARGES $1,519,402 $1,468,308 $1,468,309 $1,326,299 $1,326,299 $0 CAPITAL ASSETS 201 065196 1 WIRELESS BRIDGE SYSTEM 0 0 0 0 25,000 25,000 ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ TOTAL CAPITAL ASSETS $0 $0 $0 $0 $25,000 $25,000 OTHER FINANCING USES 201 095803 TRAN OUT COURTHOUSE BOND 616,356 609,780 609,780 619,380 619,380 0 201 095804 TRAN OUT JUSTICE CTR BOND 84,628 84,686 84,686 86,626 86,626 0 ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ TOTAL OTHER FINANCING USES $700,985 $694,466 $694,466 $706,006 $706,006 $0 ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ TOTAL EXPENDITURES************* $2,923,654 $2,942,500 $3,043,929 $3,754,360 $3,654,360 $-100,000 ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ 107 REVENUES AND EXPENDITURES STATE OF CALIFORNIA BUDGET UNIT FINANCING DETAIL BUDGET FOR THE FISCAL YEAR 2011-2012 ACTUAL ADJUSTED ESTIMATED BUDGET CAO DIFFERENCE STATE CONTROLLER EXP/REV BUDGET EXP/REV REQUESTS RECOMMENDS CAO 11-12 COUNTY BUDGET ACT (1985) 2009-10 2010-11 2010-11 2011-12 2011-12 RQST 11-12 =============================================== ============ ============ ============ ============ ============ =========== FINES, FORFEITURES