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Meeker trustees raise court administrative fee and jail housing charge
Summary
The Board approved raising the administrative court cost to $85 and inmate housing fees to $50 per day to align with regional averages and avoid the town incurring losses; trustees said adjustments are meant to preserve cost recovery, not generate profit.
Town Administrator Jeff Wilbourn framed the proposal by noting the Town currently charges $33.25 per day for inmate housing while Lincoln County charges $44.58 per day; the municipal judge recommended raising the jail fee to $50 per day to prevent losses if county rates increase. Wilbourn said the administrative court cost is built into tickets and that the proposed change would raise the average total cost per ticket from roughly $159 to about $185. He emphasized the change was "not to generate profit, but to ensure the Town does not incur losses while administering court operations."
Trustee Kenneth Massey moved to raise court fines to $85 and jail fees to $50; the motion was seconded and carried with unanimous recorded Yea votes from trustees present. Board discussion addressed comparative municipal rates and the portion of each ticket—about $45—that is remitted to the State for mandated assessments. Staff and the municipal judge provided supporting data during the discussion.
