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Circuit Court urges pay-equality funding to preserve grant‑funded services
Summary
Circuit Court staff told the council committee that a $391,000 general-fund increase is needed to equalize pay for county-funded employees who perform the same work as grant-funded staff; staff warned losing county supplementation could force separation of 29 grant employees and jeopardize larger state grants.
Circuit Court leadership told the council budget committee that a modest county supplement is critical to preserving services supported by state grants and to maintaining pay equity between county‑funded and grant‑funded staff.
Judge Carla Smith and court administrators described cases in which problem-solving court staff, self-help attorneys and custody evaluators supported low‑income residents; they said roughly 29 of 129 county‑payroll employees are currently grant‑funded and that the executive's recommended $391,000 general‑fund increase would help equalize pay for county‑funded positions performing similar duties.
Council staff said the circuit court's recommended FY27 increase is about $1.2 million (roughly 6%); the executive's packet places $392,000 in programmatic and staffing additions on the reconciliation list under the council president's approach. Staff emphasized that if county supplementation falls short, the court may need to separate some grant‑funded employees, creating a "vicious cycle" in which fewer positions reduce the court's ability to secure future grant funding.
Committee members voiced support for protecting positions that promote access to justice and asked staff to asterisk items on the reconciliation list that represent filled positions. The committee registered a 3–0 decision to advance the packet with that treatment, with final budget authority remaining at full council.
