Linwood council approves shared court services agreement
Nov, 10-2009 3:48 pm
By JACKIE HANUSEY
Staff Writer
LINWOOD – By resolution Monday, Nov. 9, Linwood City Council unanimously approved sharing municipal court services with Northfield.
However, it was not without debate in caucus about the division in funding the shared courts and shared services in general.
Representatives from both cities have been meeting for more than a year to research the possibility and then finalize the terms of the agreement.
Adjustments made to the agreement in the last few weeks include Linwood paying half of the salary for the municipal court administrator, who is an employee of Northfield.
Previously it had been arranged as a 40-60 split, but it was decided that the administrator would likely be spending her time equally in both towns.
Salaries and other costs will still be divided 40 percent Linwood and 60 percent Northfield, based on records of filings with the Administrative Office of the Court. Terms are to be based an average of the last three years of filings.
The filings are done on a fiscal year July 1 to June 30 and will be recalculated each year to determine the percentage for which each town will be responsible.
“This could change a year from now,” said Councilman Alex Marino, who served on the shared court committee.
The basis for the split received considerable discussion in caucus.
“Why split it on filings rather than court days?” said Councilman Ralph Paolone, an attorney.
Linwood court will be in session just one day a week, on the first Wednesday of the month, whereas Northfield will be in session the other three Wednesdays.
Linwood court was previously held in the evening, but Council President Donna Taylor, who served on the shared court committee, said this would have required bringing employees in at night at an extra cost.
Taylor said basing it on filings was suggested by the AOC as the fair way for both sides.
Marino said that while Linwood would only operate one day of court a month, it might be having a longer day than those in Northfield.
Councilwoman Nancy Ridgway thought it would still be worthy of noting the start and ending times of court.
“We didn’t live in a vacuum. We got input from our deputy clerk, their deputy, the court administrator and judge and both chiefs of police,” said Marino, who noted that many details of the agreement had been reworked in the last six months.
“I’m not against shared services,” Paolone said in caucus.
“It is the wave of survival for towns like Linwood,” he said. “The numbers are great, but why are we paying the percentage we are?”
Earlier in the caucus meeting, council members discussed other services council might look at sharing.
“Have we looked for shared services with police and fire?” Paolone asked.
The fire department is currently in contract negotiations, and there are two to three years remaining on the city’s contract with the Police Benevolent Association.
“Everything has to be on the table,” said Marino, who chairs council’s revenue and finance committee.
After the shared courts agreement, the city is looking into sharing dispatching services with Somers Point.
Northfield City Council members are expected to vote on the same shared court resolution at their meeting Tuesday, Nov. 17.
Once both towns pass the resolution for shared court services, it is up to the presiding judge of the AOC, Judge Valerie Armstrong, to approve the agreement.
Nothing would change until Jan. 1, 2010. The agreement is through the end of 2019; however, either town can opt out at anytime as long as it is 120 days before the end of the year.
Members of the shared court committee from Northfield were Mayor Vince Mazzeo, City Council President Cindy Kern, Councilman Brian Smith and Solicitor Keith Bonchi. Representatives from Linwood were Marino, Taylor and Solicitor Joe Youngblood.
To comment on this story email Jackie.Hanusey@catamaranmedia.com.
