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0 eo 17 I>; ; <76 C;1 1 <br />RESOLUTION <br />"INCREASE IN FACILITIES AND OFFICER FEES <br />UNDER G.S. 7A-305 AND G.S. 15-209" <br />WHEREAS, Boards of County Couuuissioners are required under North Carolina General Statues <br />Chapter 7A-302 to provide adequate courtrooms and judicial facilities within their boundaries; and <br />WHEREAS, Boards of County Commissioners are required under North Carolina General Statues <br />Chapter I5-209 to provide suitable accommodations for probation officers in or near the courthouse; and <br />WHEREAS, the North Carolina Legislature since 1965 has recognized the financial burden upon <br />counties, and as a result enacted N.C. GS 7A-304-305 which establishes fees which in 1994 were set at <br />$6.00 per case for facilities and $5.00 per case for officers; and <br />WHEREAS, the costs incurred by counties have risen dramatically through the construction and <br />renovation of courtrooms, judicial offices, clerk-of-superior court offices, through the employment of <br />additional bailiffs for court proceedings and safety, and for the installation of security systems to reduce the <br />occurrence of courthouse violence, and <br />WHEREAS, as the result of these additional requirements, the county now incurs direct expenses at <br />a ratio of 3.5:1 over revenues received from facilities' fees and incurs total expenses at a ratio of 6.8:1 over <br />revenues received for the total judicial operations: and <br />WHEREAS, the recent addition of statewide probation officer positions by the Legislature during <br />the 1997 Session has resulted in many counties having to secure privately leased space to house these new <br />State probation officers; and <br />WHEREAS, the "costs of court" represents those costs associated with providing a judicial system <br />whereby only those charged and convicted under the laws of the State of North Carolina bear the primary <br />financial burden; <br />NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Lee County Board of Commissioners as follows: <br />1. The Lee County Board of Commissioners requests that its legislative delegation in the <br />North Carolina General Assembly introduce and support statewide legislation to increase the facilities' fee <br />from its present $6.00 per case to $12.00 per case and the officer's fee from its present $5.00 per case to. <br />$10.00 per case which will partially defray the costs of maintaining judicial facilities; and <br />2. This Resolution be forwarded to the North Carolina Association of County Commissioners <br />and our local delegation. <br />Adopted this the I/ W4 <br />day of April. 1998. <br />Bertha L. Matthews, Chairperson <br />ATTEST <br />4ea M. Lee, Clerk <br />