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Conyers council weighs raising municipal court technology fee from $8 to $13
Summary
City staff proposed raising the municipal court technology/administrative fee from $8 to $13 per citation to help pay for court software and hardware; staff estimated the current $8 fee generated about $40,000 annually and said a raise would generate under $80,000. The council asked questions and directed staff to pursue local legislation if delegates agree.
City staff asked the Conyers City Council at its work session to consider raising the municipal court technology fee from a combined $8 per citation to $13, a $5 increase proposed to cover software, hardware and related training costs.
The fee change would be pursued through local legislation at the state level; staff said the proposal would specify eight permitted uses for the fee and require the funds be kept in a segregated account managed by the chief financial officer and the clerk of court. "The current technology fee ... is $8 per citation and the request to consider was ... to go from 8 to 13," staff said during the meeting.
Staff provided a revenue baseline: the existing $8 fee generated approximately $40,000 last year. Using that baseline, staff said a $13 fee would yield less than double that amount—"it would be less than $80,000," the presenter said. Staff cautioned that the revenue would not fully cover larger hardware and training costs and called the increase "a drop in the bucket" relative to total technology needs.
Councilmembers questioned scope and equity. It was clarified the fee would apply only to court services for software and hardware, not to all city departments. Council members raised concerns that higher fees could make it harder for some defendants to pay tickets; staff noted the municipal judge routinely offers community service alternatives for people unable to pay fines.
Staff also reported a review of other recent local acts: Centerville municipal had implemented a $5 increase, Cartersville set a $20 fee, Cleveland $10, and Spalding County proposed $15. The presenter said the municipal judge had been consulted and "was comfortable with this increase for the cap of $13 total."
If delegates introduce and pass local legislation, staff said the change would likely go into effect July 1, with the city repealing local Code section 2-5-18 before that date so the transition from $8 to $13 is seamless.
Next steps: staff asked whether the council wished to proceed; several members signaled informal support but did not take final action at the work session. The item will return to the council later as staff pursues legislative channels and refines revenue projections.
