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Court administrator seeks adjustments to judicial and clerk salaries, flags grant reimbursements and equipment needs
Summary
At a Dearborn Heights budget hearing, court staff detailed proposed changes to judge and deputy clerk pay set by the state, outlined anticipated MIDC grant reimbursements for indigent defense, and sought flexibility to use court fee revenue for urgent equipment and building repairs.
Budget presenters for Dearborn Heights’ court told the council that several line items on the court’s budget need corrections before final adoption, starting with a state-set judges’ salary and step increases for deputy court clerks.
The court administrator said the judges’ salary line (account 101130703) must be reduced to $91,448 to match the state-set amount. The administrator also described a payroll adjustment for deputy court clerks: three clerks were approaching a two‑year step increase but one clerk left and was replaced at the entry salary, so the revised salaries total $882,970 (down from an earlier request of roughly $887,557). The administrator said an additional $31,004 had been calculated for longevity, sick payout and vacation payout.
Why it matters: Personnel and state-mandated pay levels are the largest single drivers of the court’s operating budget; changes will affect the fund balance and may require transfers or small reallocations elsewhere.
Court staff also described grant and fee programs the court relies on. The Michigan Indigent Defense Commission (MIDC) reimbursement was presented as the court’s principal aid for court-appointed attorneys and a grant-funded court officer. The administrator reported a MIDC projection of about $285,505 to cover appointed attorneys and a grant-funded court officer, and said quarterly reimbursements already have been received in some instances.
Staff requested clearer authority to use court-fee balances for capital needs. The court currently budgets $65,000 for “court fees” that cover interpreter payments, juror and witness costs and other operating items. Presenters asked the council to move $20,000 of that budget into capital outlay so the court could buy new computers before the fiscal year ends rather than wait for next year’s appropriations; the court said its current desktop fleet is at end-of-life and estimated an immediate replacement at roughly $36,620.
Other facility and program needs discussed included replacement carpeting (identified as a tripping hazard in the lower level of the clerk’s office), a work‑program van (current vehicle is a 2006 model with rotted floors), and ongoing interpreter expense pressure tied to a more diverse caseload. The administrator said interpreter bills have been rising and that some invoices remain outstanding.
No formal council votes were recorded during the discussion. Staff said they would bring budget amendments or transmittals where required and that grant reimbursements (MIDC, other state/federal) would offset project expenditures as reimbursements are drawn down.
Ending: The court administrator asked for small line‑item adjustments and flexibility to reallocate non‑salary funds (court fees/capital outlay) so the court can address immediate technology and safety needs before the fiscal year closes. Council and comptroller staff indicated they would include requested corrections in the next draft and handle required budget amendments publicly at the hearing stage.
