Circuit court seeks 7.35% budget increase; juvenile court and detention repairs highlighted

Judge Chris McGraw presented the circuit court’s FY27 budget overview and introduced the court’s budget team. Amanda Sadamka, court administrator, told the committee the circuit court request totals a 7.35% increase, with the juvenile court budget proposed at 7.13% above FY26. Sadamka said the court proposes two full-time positions—a pretrial bond supervisor to handle rising pretrial caseloads and an IT technical support analyst to maintain newly modernized courtrooms—and noted the judges approved a 4.5% cost-of-living increase.

Sadamka described pretrial services and community-based supports used to reduce jail days—housing, job training, behavioral-health referrals—and said the court was trying to manage electronic monitoring costs while increasing use of less-restrictive alternatives. She also outlined one-time technology investments including a learning management system and an applicant tracking system to replace paper processes.

JC Wyand, district court administrator for the juvenile division, outlined juvenile court operations and pressed the committee for facility investments, citing security and safety needs at the juvenile detention campus. Wyand requested $120,000 to replace wooden doors with secure doors, exterior door lock and control upgrades, expanded access readers and door sensors, and increased emergency repairs and HVAC budgets to reflect actual spending and the 24-hour operational needs of detention housing.

Committee members thanked the court for modernization work and asked several clarifying questions; judges and administrators emphasized that improved facilities and staffing help reduce recidivism and improve rehabilitation outcomes.