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| SPONSOR: | Rawson | DATE TYPED: | 02/02/01 | HB | |||
| SHORT TITLE: | Additional Otero County Magistrate Clerks | SB | 197 | ||||
| ANALYST: | Hayes | ||||||
| Recurring
or Non-Rec |
Fund
Affected | ||||
| FY01 | FY02 | FY01 | FY02 | ||
| $ 72.0 | *Recurring | General Fund | |||
| $ 16.0 | Non-Recurring | General Fund | |||
(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)
*Magistrate Court Director provided capital outlay amount to be designated as non-recurring funding.
SOURCES OF INFORMATION
LFC files
Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC)
SUMMARY
Synopsis of Bill
SB197 appropriates $88.0 from the general fund to the Administrative Office of the Courts for the purpose of providing salaries and benefits, supplies, furniture and office equipment for two additional court clerks in the Otero County magistrate court.
Significant Issues
New Mexico's Chief Judges Council reviewed all districts, metropolitan and magistrate requests for additional staffing needs. The Workload Measurement Study indicates a need for two additional clerks for the magistrate courts in Otero County (see the attached Judiciary Unit Resources Matrix compiled by AOC). As a result, the council voted to support the county's request for two additional clerk positions in Otero County. Neither the Executive or LFC recommended funding in FY02 for these court clerks.
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS
Of the $88.0 appropriation contained in this bill, $72.0 is a recurring expense to the general fund and $16.0 is a non-recurring expense to the general fund. Any unexpended or unencumbered balance remaining at the end of fiscal year 2002 shall revert to the general fund.
ADMINISTRATIVE IMPLICATIONS
At the current staffing level, the Otero magistrate court is unable to keep up with its caseload according to the Magistrate Court Director. Passage of this bill would provide the Otero County magistrate court with the staffing level needed to better manage its caseload. (Caseload statistics were not provided by the AOC in its bill analysis.)
TECHNICAL ISSUES
Add to SB197: Section 2, EFFECTIVE DATE.- -The effective date of the provisions of this act is July 1, 2001.
CMH/ar