MOUNT VERNON — After lively comments from Municipal Court Judge John Thatcher, city council members voted on Monday to approve higher salaries for municipal court staff.
The municipal court judge sets salaries for the clerks if the court brings in more money than it incurs in expenses. If it does not, the court has to come to council for the money, and council has the discretion to set the wages.
The court does not generate more revenue than expenses, so it becomes council’s responsibility.
The Ohio Revised Code charges council with setting wages for court aides, probation officers, and court reporter.
Historically, council members accept the judge’s pay recommendations for all positions. The county pays two-fifths of the employees’ salaries.
However, at its Feb. 12 meeting, council gave compensation ordinances their second reading, citing questions and needing more information on how Thatcher calculated the pay rates.
Additionally, City Law Director Rob Broeren was concerned about the effect of increasing court wages before the city receives its new compensation study.
“If you give large increases to a number of people right now, I have people with graduate degrees and professional licenses who will wonder why they’re not in line for this sort of immediate raise. And it would cause significant trouble for me,” he said.
Noting this is his 10th budget season, Thatcher told council he only asks the minimum and has lost people to other departments in the city. He said his employees also have degrees and certifications.
“This is not the city. This is part of a statewide system. It may cause problems for some departments, but we have to retain employees, too. We know we are at the bottom,” Thatcher told council on Feb. 12.
“In the last 10 years, we have not filled two deputy clerk positions … so we assigned more duties to clerks without filling,” he said.
Additionally, while most other judges have a magistrate, Thatcher does not.
Comparable court staff salaries
Thatcher emailed judges in eight jurisdictions with comparable caseloads or populations because the city would not have results from its new compensation study before the Feb. 26 council meeting.
Knox County court staff positions were paid lower in most of the comparisons.
“You are not making a decision to fund a subservient department in the city,” Thatcher told council members Monday. “You are making a decision to fund a co-equal branch of government.”
He noted that judges have the authority to make sure the court runs efficiently.
“I think you have one of the best courts in the state. You have one of the best staffs. We’re changing people’s lives, and they deserve to be fairly compensated,” he told council.
“I’d like to retain the people I have. I don’t think what we are asking for is unreasonable. It’s not fair to compare with other departments; they’re not comparable to the court.”
Legislative action
In other legislative action, council members voted to vacate two alleys. One alley is behind two homes on Oak and East Gambier streets. The other alley is between High and Vine Street.
The Municipal Planning Commission approved vacating both alleys.
Council members took the following additional actions:
•Postponed the third reading of legislation adopting Phase 2 of the city’s strategic plan to the March 25 meeting
•Waived the required three readings and passed legislation donating the gazebo in Riverview Park to the Knox County Land Bank (the city must move the swings and gazebo due to AEP easements), pay bills, and approve supplemental appropriations (appropriations include $430,000 in CDBG money for the Buckeye Addition and Stump Street improvement projects)
•Authorized Salyers to act as agent for a $600,000 Safe Routes to School grant (for sidewalks and crosswalks on Ohio 586 near the schools and career center)
•Gave a first reading to an ordinance changing the name of the Parks and Lands Committee to Parks and Recreation and changing the name of the Planning and Zoning Committee to Land Use and Development
•Gave first readings to several pieces of personnel legislation: changing the wastewater and superintendent title to assistant director, changing the number of employees in the engineering and public works department, and establishing the position of HR Generalist
•Approved the first reading of an ordinance amending the city’s street openings policy
