Court administrator seeks pay bump for probation director and flags MIDC grant increase

Michelle Adkins, the city’s court administrator, asked the council to amend the personnel budget to raise the probation director’s salary to $70,000, saying the role is “very low on the salary wage cycle” compared with comparable courts. “We do have an amendment we wanna request … we wanna ask to put it to 70,000 just to try to get him somewhat closer to that average,” Adkins said.

Adkins reviewed court staffing and pay lines, noting the two judges’ salaries paid by the city are “100% reimbursed by the state” and listed the judges’ combined budgeted amount as $91,448. She also gave figures for court administrators, deputy clerks, court reporters and officers, and explained that some positions recently received step increases.

On operating revenue and grants, Adkins said the MIDC grant used to pay court-appointed attorney fees has increased in staff estimates and compliance filings; she said the department expects $600,006.59 and described it as fully funded once the city completes required fiscal submissions. “Attorney fees have increased … typically, over the years, we have overspent the attorney fees, so therefore, the state has to reimburse us,” she said.

Adkins also defended a modest increase in overtime from a projected $3,000 this year to a proposed $7,000 next year, citing deadlines, case workloads and planned after-hours work tied to a case-management system conversion. She said the probation director has been with the city since 1998 and is a senior, long‑tenured employee.

The council asked clarifying questions about line items including court fees (interpreters, juror and witness fees), library/legal book costs for judges, and the composition of tiered clerk pay. No formal motion or vote was recorded during this segment; Adkins closed by saying the department will continue to work on compliance and reimbursements with the state.