Cheyenne municipal court asks council for $60,500 to cover magistrates, training and part‑time clerk

Senior Municipal Court Judge David Singleton told the Cheyenne City Council at a work session that the municipal court is seeking $60,500 in additional funding to cover magistrate pay, staff training and a part‑time clerical position.

The request matters because the court handles thousands of cases a year and Judge Singleton said current staffing levels leave regular staff “overtasked,” making it harder to keep the public counter staffed and to cover conflicts when he must recuse himself.

Judge Singleton described the municipal court’s jurisdiction and workload, saying, “By state statute, the municipal court has jurisdiction over all violations of municipal code,” and that the court must be prepared to try cases to protect defendants’ rights. He told the council the court handles roughly “5 to 6,000 cases per year,” and said that in 2024 the court held “over 100 bench trials” and two jury trials. He summarized the additional budget requests as $25,000 for magistrates (conflict coverage at $75 per hour, estimated 15 hours per week), $7,500 for training and education, and about $28,000 for a part‑time clerk position — a total he said “totals up to about 60,500.”

In describing why the part‑time clerk is needed, Judge Singleton said the position would be “a public‑facing, front counter person, fielding public questions, handling attorneys filing things” so that existing staff, who also prepare and follow up on cases, would not be repeatedly pulled away from court duties. He said the magistrates currently used have reduced the need for a full‑time judge but that the magistrate pool is small and can present conflict issues when a judge must recuse.

Council members asked clarifying questions. Councilor Dr. Rennie asked whether the part‑time position was already included in the proposed budget; the judge replied it was not. Dr. Rennie also asked whether increased enforcement of city ordinances would require more court resources; Judge Singleton said, “If there are going to be more code violation enforcements… then absolutely, yes. I think we would need more resources.” Councilor Roybal asked whether candidates have been identified for the part‑time clerk; Singleton said no, noting funding has not been available previously. Doctor Aldridge asked about magistrate conflicts and whether the magistrates all work for the same law firm; Singleton said they do not and explained that a magistrate recently stepped back from duties while seeking an opinion from the Judicial Ethics and Advisory Committee to avoid an appearance of impropriety.

Judge Singleton and the council also discussed fines and bond schedules. When asked about fines, Singleton explained the court uses a bond and forfeiture schedule that establishes preset bond amounts on citations; defendants may post bond and forfeit that amount in lieu of appearing in court, and judges use prosecutorial input and judicial discretion when assessing fines for people who appear.

No formal motion or vote was taken at the work session on the municipal court request; the judge presented the request and answered council questions. Council members indicated interest in following up: Council leadership said Compliance Division staff would coordinate a meeting with the judge to review caseload and enforcement concerns.

The municipal court presentation also listed court staff and operations: Judge Singleton identified the court administrator (Christina Woodhouse), deputy clerk (David Garcia), judicial assistants, an intake clerk (McKenna Valhuizen) and a juvenile judicial assistant (Christina Castillo). He described the requested part‑time clerk as intended to be non‑benefited and primarily clerical.

Looking ahead, council members asked the treasurer and city staff to reconcile revenue projections for court fines with recent trends; the treasurer noted fine revenue has declined over recent years and the proposed budget reflects a lower projection for this fiscal year.