This Fiscal Note is not an official copy and should not be quoted or cited.
This Fiscal Note is not an official copy and should not be quoted or cited.
Fiscal Note - SB 0011 - Adds associate circuit judges to Camden, Laclede and Taney counties
COMMITTEE ON LEGISLATIVE RESEARCH
OVERSIGHT DIVISION
FISCAL NOTE
L.R. NO. 0248-01
BILL NO. SB 11
SUBJECT: Associate Circuit Judges
TYPE: Original
DATE: February 2, 1999
FISCAL SUMMARY
|
ESTIMATED NET EFFECT ON STATE FUNDS | |||
| FUND AFFECTED | FY 2000 | FY 2001 | FY 2002 |
| General Revenue | $0 | ($268,254) | $0 |
| Total Estimated
Net Effect on All State Funds |
$0 | ($268,254) | $0 |
|
ESTIMATED NET EFFECT ON FEDERAL FUNDS | |||
| FUND AFFECTED | FY 2000 | FY 2001 | FY 2002 |
| None | |||
| Total Estimated
Net Effect on All Federal Funds |
$0 | $0 | $0 |
|
ESTIMATED NET EFFECT ON LOCAL FUNDS | |||
| FUND AFFECTED | FY 2000 | FY 2001 | FY 2002 |
| Local Government | $0 | ($25,500 to $83,908) | ($500) |
Numbers within parentheses: ( ) indicate costs or losses
This fiscal note contains 5 pages.
FISCAL ANALYSIS
ASSUMPTION
Officials from the Office of State Courts Administrator (CTS) assume the proposed legislation would add one additional associate circuit judge for the counties of Camden, Laclede, and Taney effective January 1, 2001. Associate circuit judges are state-paid and are traditionally entitled to a state-paid division clerk. The current salaries are $87,235 per associate circuit judge and $23,748 for a division clerk. It should be noted that Section 478.320 provides for a second associate circuit judge in a county once the population reaches 30,000 in a regular census. The 2000 census will be reported and this provision would be operable on July 1, 2001, as current census projection figures indicate these counties will exceed the 30,000 population trigger at that time. Thus, CTS assumes the additional cost of this proposal would appear to be costs for the six months from January 2001 to July 2001. CTS further assumes that any local costs would depend upon the availability of facilities, equipment and operating costs.
Officials from the Office of the State Public Defender (SPD) assume the proposal would result in added pressure for assistant public defenders to be in multiple places at one time. SPD assumes they would require 1.5 FTE (.5 FTE in each of three counties) Assistant Public Defenders ($33,024 per year), plus fringe benefits, equipment, and operating expenses to carry out the provisions of this proposal. The new judgeships would not begin until January 1, 2001; therefore, SPD has calculated their additional costs for the new office furniture and equipment required plus the related expenses for the six months from January 2001 to July 2001.
Officials from the Office of Prosecution Services (OPS) assume the proposed legislation would have no fiscal impact on their agency; however, it could result in an increase in the workloads of the county prosecutors in Camden, Taney, and Laclede Counties.
Officials from the 26th Judicial Circuit Court of Missouri (Camden and Laclede County) assumed their office would incur minimal office expenses in the approximate amount of $21,000 during the year of implementation. The costs resulting from this proposal would be as follows: telephone ($2,000), office supplies ($3,000), sound-recording device ($6,000), judicial robes ($1000), training ($3000), and computer equipment ($6,000).
In response to a similar proposal, officials from the 38th Judicial Circuit Court of Missouri (Taney County) assume the proposal would result in minimal office expenses in the approximate amount of $4,500 during FY 2001, and $500 annually thereafter.
ASSUMPTION (continued)
In response to a similar proposal, officials from the Office of the Taney County Prosecuting Attorney assumed their office would require an additional 1.5 FTE Assistant Prosecuting Attorney ($40,000 per year annual salary), 1 FTE Victim Advocate ($14,000 per year), and 1 FTE Paralegal ($14,000 per year) to meet the demands of the Associate Docket as well as the preparation of the expedited cases bound over to Circuit Court. Additionally, the Taney County Prosecuting Attorney assumed their office would require $22,000 for equipment and expenses to support the additional 3.5 FTE, along with $4,800 in annual rental expenses.
Oversight assumes the criminal docket in Taney County would be expedited to a certain degree; however, the total number of cases would remain the same and it is unlikely that the expedited docket would require the Office of the Taney County Prosecuting Attorney to hire an additional 3.5 FTE as reported by that office. The Taney County Prosecuting Attorney currently has 1 FTE Assistant Prosecuting Attorney who handles the entire associate docket; therefore, Oversight assumes that the increased local costs resulting from this proposal would likely range from zero to the total amount reported by the Taney County Prosecuting Attorney. The additional associate circuit judge would be added in Taney County on January 1, 2001; therefore, Oversight has shown the high side of the range as one-half of the annual costs reported by the Taney County Prosecuting Attorney for the six month period from January 2001 to July 2001.
Officials from the Office of the Attorney General assume the proposal would have no fiscal impact on their agency.
In response to a similar proposal, officials from the Office of the Camden County Prosecuting Attorney and the Office of the Laclede County Prosecuting Attorney assumed there would be no fiscal impact on their budgets.
| FISCAL IMPACT - State Government | FY 2000 | FY 2001 | FY 2002 |
| (6 Mo.) | |||
| GENERAL REVENUE FUND | |||
| Costs - State Courts Administrator (CTS) | |||
| Personal Service (6 FTE) | $0 | ($174,902) | $0 |
| Fringe Benefits | 0 | (48,973) | 0 |
| Total Costs - CTS | $0 | ($223,875) | $0 |
| FISCAL IMPACT - State Government | FY 2000 | FY 2001 | FY 2002 |
| (continued) | (6 Mo.) | ||
| GENERAL REVENUE FUND | |||
| Costs - State Public Defender (SPD) | |||
| Personal Service (1.5 FTE) | $0 | ($26,022) | $0 |
| Fringe Benefits | 0 | (7,778) | 0 |
| Equipment and Expenses | 0 | (10,579) | 0 |
| Total Costs - SPD | $0 | ($44,379) | $0 |
|
ESTIMATED NET EFFECT | |||
| ON GENERAL REVENUE | $0 | ($268,254) | $0 |
| FISCAL IMPACT - Local Government | FY 2000 | FY 2001 | FY 2002 |
| (6 Mo.) | |||
| LOCAL GOVERNMENTAL ENTITIES | |||
| Costs - Taney County Circuit Court | $0 | ($4,500) | ($500) |
| Costs - Camden County Circuit Court | $0 | ($11,000) | $0 |
| Costs - Laclede County Circuit Court | $0 | ($11,000) | $0 |
| Costs - Taney County Prosecuting Attorney | $0 to | ||
| Personal Service (3.5 FTE) | $0 | ($45,320) | $0 |
| 0 to | |||
| Fringe Benefits | $0 | (12,930) | $0 |
| 0 to | |||
| Equipment and Expenses | $0 | (12,566) | $0 |
| $0 to | |||
| Total Costs - Taney County Prosecuting Attorney | $0 | ($70,816) | $0 |
|
ESTIMATED NET EFFECT ON |
($25,500) to | ||
| LOCAL GOVERNMENTAL ENTITIES | $0 | ($96,316) | ($500) |
| FISCAL IMPACT - Small Business | |||
| No direct fiscal impact to small businesses would be expected as a result of this proposal. | |||
DESCRIPTION
This proposal would add one additional associate circuit judge to each of the counties of Camden, Laclede, and Taney. The new judges will be elected in 2000, to take office January 1, 2001.
This legislation is not federally mandated, would not duplicate any other program, and would not require additional capital improvements or rental space.
SOURCES OF INFORMATION
Office of State Courts Administrator
Office of the State Public Defender
Office of Prosecution Services
Office of the Attorney General
26th Judicial Circuit Court of Missouri (Camden and Laclede County)
NOT RESPONDING: 38th Judicial Circuit Court of Missouri (Taney County).
Jeanne Jarrett, CPA
Director
February 2, 1999