Court officials told Butler County commissioners on Sept. 12 that a drop in state "reclaimed" funds and the end of a federal grant are tightening the juvenile court budget and could force the court to seek general-fund support for probation and programs in coming years.

Court Administrator (identified in the hearing as the Court Administrator) said the court’s general fund is stable but that non-general funding is down about 4%. She told commissioners a three-year federal Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention grant that fully funded the family recovery court ended last quarter, and staff salaries from that court were carried into the general fund for only the final three months of 2025.

The court attributed the decline in “reclaimed” funding to changes in statewide juvenile placement practice and a formula that ties reimbursement to factors such as county population, felony adjudications and bed days. As other counties move toward community-based options and use fewer locked beds, Butler County’s formula share has fallen, the Court Administrator said. She said reclaimed funding has dropped by more than $1 million over three years.

Why it matters: court leaders said reclaimed funds supported probation and program staffing; a sustained decline will likely require a request for general-fund assistance or program cuts. The court is budgeting current staffing and merit-based pay increases but said carryover funds that previously smoothed declines will be insufficient in coming years.

Docket pressures: Judges and administrators described growth in specialty dockets. The court has a veterans docket (running twice monthly) and a mental-health docket regularly serving far more participants than historical caps. The court said the Supreme Court had set a target of 30 for the mental-health docket; the local judge is accepting more than that to meet demand and reported holding participants in different phases so the docket can accommodate higher‑need entrants.

Court staff said the juvenile detention population and the severity of some offenses have risen, with a notable increase in stolen-vehicle pursuits and related serious incidents. The judge reported an increase in admissions of children age 12 and younger for domestic violence and other violent incidents — a cohort that a year earlier had been far smaller. The court has seen an increase from 28 such admissions last year to 62 so far this calendar year, the judge said.

Staffing and facilities: Administrators said staff retention is a challenge across multiple court units and that several positions moved from special-project funds into the general fund in prior budgets. The court continues planning a possible court move and lease; officials said lease language must address courtroom security, inmate movement and elevator access, and that any move would include 90-day notice to the current landlord. Court leaders said the move is unlikely this year pending negotiations on lease terms and an unknown timeline for costs and rent.

What the commissioners heard about options: Commissioners and court leaders discussed collaborating with county planning and corrections studies — including a county-funded Bauman Associates criminal-justice planning project — to coordinate data-driven resource decisions. Administrators asked commissioners to consider general-fund assistance if reclaimed funding remains lower than historic levels.

Ending: Court leaders said they will continue working with the county on budget forecasts and will return with more precise estimates if funding gaps persist.