San Juan County, Monticello reach in-principle deal to merge justice court; 70/30 split proposed after expenses

San Juan County commissioners on Jan. 20 reviewed a proposed contract to merge Monticello City’s justice court into county operations, with county staff saying the move should not increase the county’s net costs and the city agreeing in principle to a 70% county / 30% city split of net revenues after the county covers operating expenses.

County Attorney (unnamed) told the commission that Monticello historically contracted prosecutorial services for about $1,500 a month (12 hours at $125 per hour) and that merger would consolidate prosecutorial work under the county. He proposed increasing Monticello’s prosecutorial allocation to about 20 hours per month and raising the billing rate to $175 per hour to reflect workload, arguing the county should be compensated for the additional work the merged court will require. "We should go into this with the idea that merging the two justice courts should not cost the county anything additional," the County Attorney said.

Why it matters: The draft contract would route all fines and fees into the county’s account, require the county to pay operational costs (judge, prosecutors, clerks and public defense costs) and, only after those expenses are paid, split remaining net revenue with Monticello. That sequencing affects how salary increases or workload-driven pay bumps would be financed and how much the city would actually receive under the 30% share.

Monticello’s representative, speaking for the city, said the contract was designed so the city would accept a 30% share only after the county covered its operating costs: "I'm comfortable with that because then you guys can make any changes to your budgets," she said, adding that the city expects the county to manage its own operating decisions. The city representative also flagged a drafting error (an incorrect numeric phrase) and said she would correct the draft and resubmit it for the next meeting.

Commissioners asked for clarity on timing and long-term effects. Several members noted the merger decision will be long-lasting and asked that the county provide clear tracking of funds and caseload attribution. Staff and commissioners discussed judge compensation ranges and caseload thresholds that determine part-time versus full-time salary status. County staff cited ranges for part-time judges ($59,856–$76,957) and higher full-time figures tied to state code, and recommended a budget amendment if the county increases attorney pay to account for the added workload.

Key numerical points and clarifications discussed in the session included: Monticello’s historic contract ($1,500/month based on 12 hours at $125/hour, $18,000 annually), a proposed increase to 20 hours at $175/hour for city-attributable work, and a 70/30 split of net revenue after operational expenses. Commissioners and the city agreed the split would occur only after the county pays judge and operational costs; they also discussed the risk that if fine revenue declines there is no clause obligating the city to cover shortfalls, which would leave the county to absorb those costs unless terms are revised.

Next steps: County staff and the Monticello representative agreed to revise the contract language to correct drafting errors and to formalize how net revenue and expenses are defined. The city indicated its council could sign a corrected draft next Tuesday; the county said a formal approval would require a public action item and a budget amendment at a subsequent meeting. No final vote or contract signature took place during the Jan. 20 work session.