Laurie, a court representative, told the finance committee Sept. 30 that the circuit’s FY26 budget needs increases in jury-related and trial-cost lines because the chief judge is planning to reduce the number of non-jury weeks to handle a larger caseload.

Laurie said the judiciary is requesting an increase in the juror line to $50,000 (up from $35,000) to cover more summonses, juror pay, mileage and associated costs. She cited seven pending murder trials that could proceed next year and said the additional jury weeks explain requests for higher jury debit-card and mileage allocations.

Other requested increases included a maintenance/software line to $16,500 to license a new server and support a new circuit website (expected mid-October), a mileage line increased to $60,000 to match jury travel needs, and a trial-expense line raised to $145,000 to cover transcripts, guardian ad litem fees, court-appointed mediators and other mandated expenses. Laurie said the county receives reimbursements for certain mandated costs — for example, about $82,000 to date for interpreter and SVP-related expenses — and that reimbursements return to the general fund.

For the law library (funded by filing fees), Laurie said the account balance is about $163,475 and she requested $50,000 for books and subscriptions; she noted that the annual distribution process is changing and counties may receive a smaller share under a new state distribution procedure. Mediation (foreclosure-mediation program) was presented as a wash (revenue and expenditures both at $27,060); access-to-justice grant revenue and spending were reduced to $15,000 after the county received less than in the prior year.

Committee members asked routine questions about line-item timing and whether the proposed increases matched anticipated caseload; Laurie said the increases reflect the chief judge’s scheduling changes and pending trials and that she is budgeting conservatively for subscriptions and trial costs.

No final committee vote on the judiciary budget lines was recorded at the Sept. 30 meeting; Laurie said she will monitor actual costs and bring data as needed.