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Council opens public hearing and approves first step to expand municipal court jurisdiction
Summary
Smithfield Town Council opened a public hearing and approved a motion to move forward with an amendment to local ordinance chapter 60 to allow creation/expansion of municipal court jurisdiction, sending the proposal to the Budget & Financial Review board for more study.
The Smithfield Town Council on July 15 opened a public hearing and voted to advance language to amend chapter 60 of the town code (Municipal Court) to allow the town to pursue expanded municipal court jurisdiction, including traffic matters.
Councilwoman and vice president Angelica Lisonbee sponsored the amendment and asked the council to authorize the first formal step — aligning the local ordinance with the state enabling language so the town can explore creation or expansion of a municipal court. Lisonbee and other council members said the vote was intended as a procedural step that would enable the town to gather data and speak with clerks, tribunals and other municipalities that operate municipal courts.
Council members said any actual creation of a municipal court would require a subsequent ordinance and additional study. Council members asked that the proposal be referred to the Budget & Financial Review board for an updated report; a member noted the last formal study dated to November 2015 and recommended a fresh analysis of costs, software needs, staffing and security.
One councilor summarized the next steps: enact an ordinance if, after study, the town decides to proceed; but first seek an updated analysis from the Budget & Financial Review board and solicit input from the police department and clerk’s office on operational impacts.
After public comment and brief discussion, the council voted to approve the motion and move the matter on for further study.
