Title
Joint resolution authorizing an increase in the court automation fee collected by the Clerk of the Circuit Court from $7 to $12 effective December 1, 2011.
Staff Summary
· Lake County currently assesses a court automation fee of $7 to litigants in all civil cases and to defendants in felony, traffic, misdemeanor, municipal ordinance and conservation cases upon a judgment of guilty or a grant of supervision.
· The maximum fee allowed by Public Act 94-595, which was effective on January 1, 2006, is $15.
· During the budget process, there were concerns about the sustainability of the court automation fund because expenses exceeded revenues in the FY11 and the proposed FY12 budgets.
· Given these concerns and the technology needs of the courts, court staff has determined that it is appropriate to consider a $5 fee increase at this time.
· The Chief Judge and the Clerk of the Circuit Court, who jointly oversee the court automation fund, support the proposed fee increase, which will generate approximately $600,000 in new revenue.
Body
WHEREAS, Lake County currently assesses a court automation fee of $7 to litigants in all civil cases and to defendants in felony, traffic, misdemeanor, municipal ordinance and conservation cases upon a judgment of guilty or a grant of supervision as allowed by Illinois statute (705 ILCS 105/27.3a); and
WHEREAS, Public Act 94-595, which was effective on January 1, 2006, allows county boards to authorize the Clerk of the Circuit Court to charge a court automation fee of up to $15; and
WHEREAS, court staff has determined that a $5 increase in the court automation fee is appropriate at this time to offset expenses in the court automation fund; and
WHEREAS, the Chief Judge and the Clerk of the Circuit Court, who jointly oversee the court automation fund, have no objections to the proposed fee increase; and
WHEREAS, it is therefore recommended that the court automation fee of $7 be increased to $12 effective December 1, 2011.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, by this County Board of Lake County, Illinois, that the court automation fee collected by the Clerk of the Circuit Court be increased from $7 to $12, effective December 1, 2011.
DATED, at Waukegan, Lake County, Illinois, on this 11th day of October, A.D., 2011.