ATHENS, Ohio – During a special session held during its committees meeting Monday, Athens City Council heard second reading of an ordinance that would use a different source for half of the salaries for two municipal court employees.
Currently, the two employees’ pay comes from the city’s General Fund. By reducing the General Fund’s share of the wages to 50%, the proposed ordinance would bring the General Fund balance closer to its statutory minimum threshold of 7.5% of annual expenditures. The fund balance was at 6% in late May, Athens City Auditor Kathy Hecht said at a previous council meeting. The goal is to reach 9%.
Council heard first reading of the ordinance, which would amend the 2024 appropriation ordinance, at its June 10 meeting. The ordinance, as drafted by the municipal court, amends the 2024 appropriation ordinance so that half of the employees’ wages come from the General Fund and half from grants to be obtained by the court.
At Monday night’s meeting, however, council discussed moving $55,000 in salary expenses to come municipal court’s DUI Court Fund instead of the General Fund. While that approach would help the General Fund balance, paying court employees with DUI funds could create a problem, said council member Solveig Spjeldnes, 1st Ward.
“Requiring the court to pay for employees with DUI funds turns that into an incentive to find people with DUI charges to maintain their employees,” Spjeldnes said.
Speldnes added that while she “loves” the idea of relieving financial stress from the General Fund, courts should not be self-funded and should be sustained by the General Fund and grants. So, she is unsure if she will vote to pass the ordinance on third reading.
“I don’t really like the idea of setting a precedent of having fines and fees be what sustains our courts,” said Spjeldnes. “I don’t think that’s philosophically a good idea.”
Monday’s meeting was a regularly scheduled committee meeting; committee meetings are intended for general discussion rather than official action. Although the special session appeared on the meeting agenda, no public notice of the change appears to have been made. Ohio law requires public bodies to provide at least 24 hours’ public notice of special meetings.
City Law Director Lisa Eliason told the Independent that council agreed to add the special session to the June 24 meeting at its June 17 meeting. In an email, Council Clerk Debbie Walker said the special session agenda was published on June 21. The Independent is investigating the matter.
Athens City Council’s next regular meeting will be at 7 p.m. Monday, Aug. 5, in Athens City Hall, Council Chambers, third floor, 8 E. Washington St. Meetings are also available online. Regular sessions are on the first and third Mondays of the month; committee meetings are on the second and fourth Mondays. Regular meetings are not held in July unless otherwise ordered by the council.
This story was updated at 3:15 p.m. June 27 to include information from Debbie Walker.
