On Monday, Marshall County Superior Court II Judge Dean Colvin appeared before the County Council and asked for an additional appropriation to increase the salary of the Court Services Director and the Substance Abuse counselor. The additional appropriation request was $4,452 for the director and $1,567 for the counselor.
Colvin gave some history value which he believed would explain his request. He said, “In 2011 we had to substantially reduce our operating expenses as a result of a downward spiral that was taking place in the program with respect to income to revenues that the program was receiving.” He explained the downsizing ended up with the director and one interventionist.
Colvin said due diligence was used to turn the program around with the assistance of Lori Baker in 2012. He continued, “In June 2013 the new director, Ward Byers was hired and moved the program forward from where it had been falling to, to now where we are at with a surplus of some $410,000 in the Court Services budget.”
The Court Services program substantially supports itself through the fees that are charged to its cliental. Colvin said, “It’s been essentially run as a business subject to a lot of government rules and regulations.” He continued, “It is run now as a business where you can’t spend more than what your taking in and that’s what was occurring prior to 2011 and 2012 that really caused us to have a reduction.”
Last year 77 new individuals were monitored on the program for a total of 147 individuals on the program for 2014. Colvin pointed out the benefits of having individuals on the program. Without the addition of any Community Transition individuals, $721,000 that was saved in incarceration expenses of those particular individuals. $1.3 million was saved when you include all 147 individuals who were on the program last year and that excludes any medical expenses which the county may have had to incur if any of them had been incarcerated.
Colvin said in making his request for the additional, “When the program was initially organized this council approved at that point in time a salary of $52,000 for the director of Court Services.” He continued, “As a result of the 2011 actions, we reduced the salary to $48,000 and at this time with the change of circumstances and additional responsibilities Mr. Byers has undertaken and the interventionist has undertaken I think it was a timely point for me to come in and ask you for an additional appropriation.”
Judge Colvin did remind County Council member that the additional is not from the general revenue of the county, from taxes paid by tax payers, it comes directly from monies generated from the services that the program provides.”
The Marshall County Council unanimously approved the additional request for the Court Services program.
