Senate approves Pappageorges measures to save courts money
Thursday, October 29, 2009
LANSING — Legislation to help the Oakland County Circuit Court save $1.8 million was approved by the Michigan Senate, said bill sponsor Sen. John Pappageorge, R-Troy.
Senate Bills 850 and 851 would allow the court to achieve its savings by temporarily eliminating a judgeship position.
“These common-sense measures will save the court nearly $2 million and would result in saving about $160,000 a year for the state,” said Pappageorge, vice chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee. “I commend the Oakland County Circuit Court for its fiscal responsibility.”
Current Michigan law provides for 19 circuit court judges in Oakland County. If signed into law, SBs 850 and 851 would eliminate one Oakland County Circuit judgeship for a period of four years from Jan. 1, 2011 to Jan. 1, 2015.
The timing coincides with the retirement of a circuit court judge and will allow for the open seat to remain vacant. After four years the judgeship will automatically be reinstated without requiring further action by the Legislature.
During a hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee, Alicia Urbain and Kevin Oeffner of the Oakland County Circuit Court testified that eliminating a judgeship would result in a manageable workload increase for the remaining judges, who volunteered to help balance the budget and prevent even deeper cuts. The court does not currently carry a backlog and the added workload will be spread among several judges. This will ensure that cases continue to be processed in a timely fashion.
Previously, the Oakland County Circuit Court bench and the Oakland County Board of Commissioners voted to temporarily eliminate the judgeship.
“This display of teamwork and sacrifice during difficult economic times is admirable,” Pappageorge said. “I applaud the Oakland County Circuit Court and the Oakland County Board of Commissioners for their unanimous support of this cost-savings measure. By working together, we can find ways to weather this economic storm.”
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