Title
Title
Trial Court Budget | Allocations from the Trial Court Trust Fund and Trial Court Allocations for 2022-23 (Action Required)
body
Summary
Summary
For 2022-23, the Trial Court Budget Advisory Committee recommends the Judicial Council allocate $2.946 billion to the trial courts, including $2.759 billion from the Trial Court Trust Fund, which includes new funding of $84.2 million inflationary funding, $100.0 million equity funding, $31.2 million new judgeship funding, $110.0 million civil assessment backfill funding, $137.8 million from the state General Fund for employee benefits and pretrial funding, and $50.0 million in State Court Facilities Construction Fund for support of operation of the trial courts.
The Trial Court Budget Advisory Committee also recommends the Judicial Council approve the Workload Formula allocation of $2.471 billion based on recommended methodologies as well as methodologies approved by the Judicial Council. Assuming approval of the allocations, current revenue projections, and estimated savings from 2021-22 appropriations, the Trial Court Trust Fund will end 2022-23 with a fund balance of $98.2 million, of which approximately $67.1 million will be unrestricted.
body
Recommendation
Recommendation
The Trial Court Budget Advisory Committee recommends that the Judicial Council, effective July 15, 2022:
1. Approve base, discretionary, and nondiscretionary program allocations in the amount of $2.759 billion, which includes the following:
a. An allocation of $84.2 million in inflationary funding to the trial courts as a 3.8 percent increase over each court’s 2021-22 Workload Formula allocation, consistent with how the $84.2 million was calculated;
b. An allocation of $100.0 million equity funding to the trial courts bringing courts below the statewide average as close to the statewide average funding level as calculated for 2022-23, where each court is brought up to the same Workload Formula percentage;
c. An allocation of $31.2 million new judgeship funding to the trial courts based on the Judicial Council-approved Workload Formula methodology, with non-sheriff security funding reduced from the funding amount prior to allocation; and
d. An allocation of $110.0 million civil assessment revenue backfill based on the Judicial Council-approved Workload Formula methodology.
2. Approve $68.8 million from the state General Fund for employee benefit cost increases associated with retirement, employee health, and retiree health benefits for the period 2010-11 through 2011-12;
3. Approve $50.0 million in State Court Facilities Construction Fund for support of operation of the trial courts; and
4. Approve a Workload Formula allocation of $2.471 billion based on the methodologies in 1a through 1c and as approved by the Judicial Council.
Recommendations 1a through 1c were presented to the Judicial Branch Budget Committee on June 1, 2022 and approved for consideration by the Judicial Council.
Recommendation 1d was presented to the Judicial Branch Budget Committee on June 28, 2022 and is described in a separate Judicial Council report, item 22-127.
body
Speakers
Speakers
Hon. Jonathan B. Conklin, Chair, Trial Court Budget Advisory Committee
Ms. Rebecca Fleming, Vice Chair, Trial Court Budget Advisory Committee