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PASCO -- Franklin County commissioners want more information before they consider absorbing Connell Municipal Court into the county District Court.
County commissioners decided Wednesday to wait a week before voting on the agreements that would finalize the deal.
Connell would like to contract with Franklin County's prosecutor, District Court and the bicounty Office of Public Defense for municipal court services instead of operating its own court. The city council unanimously has approved the contracts.
Commission Chairman Brad Peck questioned if contracting with the county was in the best interest of Connell's citizens. He said others have told him the cost to the city would be more than anticipated.
"Every single person that lives in the city of Connell is a county resident," he said.
Steve Taylor, Connell city administrator, said the city did an extensive financial analysis that included looking at the differences in sentencing and jail costs. That analysis concluded that while the city's jail costs could increase by up to $10,000, the city would save about $35,000 overall in 2011.
The council took the financial analysis and judicial benefits into consideration, Taylor said.
District Court has sentencing options Connell doesn't have, such as electronic home monitoring and work release, according to city documents.
Commissioner Bob Koch said he would like to see the financial analysis, the pros and cons the city considered and transcripts of the city meetings before making a decision.
The financial impact to the city was the city's issue to consider, Taylor said. Connell's legislative body also adequately has addressed the positives and negatives associated with the proposed court move.
Taylor said he had been in contact with County Administrator Fred Bowen in weeks prior to the meeting to see if additional information was required and was told none was.
"We would ask that there not be any additional delay," he said.
Peck said Bowen wouldn't know if the commissioners needed any additional information at that point.
The city should be able to come up with short-term ways to handle municipal court, even with a delayed commissioner decision, he said.
Peck said he thought the county would need to take 90 days to fully consider the agreement.
"I think there is considerable study that needs to be done," he said.
After the meeting, Taylor said the city would be happy to provide commissioners with the information they need to make a decision.
Work on the agreement began about five months ago.
A one-week delay should not throw off the schedule too much, Taylor said. The goal was to transfer the administration to the county by Oct. 1.
However, waiting 90 days would have a negative impact on the city, he said. The current court clerk is leaving to go to school full time, and court clerk duties require special training.
Had commissioners signed off on the agreements Wednesday, the last day for Connell Municipal Court would have been Sept. 13, with the city transitioning the administration of the court over to the county by the end of the month, Taylor said.
County officials have said Connell's caseload, which is about 3.5 percent of District Court's, should fit into the current workloads for the court, prosecutor's office and Office of Public Defense.
Commissioner Rick Miller said he didn't see a real change for the county with the agreement. He initially said he was ready to approve the contracts, then later agreed to delay the decision a week.
Commissioners did unanimously approve a redistricting plan that essentially created a department to track Connell municipal cases.
Adopting the plan just set the stage to allow the county to consider the agreement, Peck said.
-- Kristi Pihl: 582-1512; kpihl@tricityherald.com
