Municipal Court revenues are down 50% over the last five years. Reasons offered for the decrease include changes in collections, reduction in the number of court filings (which includes tickets), and the impact of the COVID pandemic on operations. Departments issuing citations include Police, Fire, and Neighborhood and Family Services which includes Code Compliance and Animal Services.
A City Marshall shared their ability to track people down for payment. He said he had unfilled positions and new responsibilities like providing officers at City Council and court security. Mayor Gunter said she loves expert testimony.
The City has a paid consultant in Judge Allen Gilbert who retired in March 2019 only to be hired as an outside consultant. That contract has been renewed every year. Council may wish to hear from the Judge about changes that contributed to the significant revenue reduction since he stepped down as the City's Municipal Court Judge.
Otherwise, the city may not be able to afford keeping Judge Gilbert on as a consultant.
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