Explanation
BACKGROUND
This ordinance authorizes the Administrative and Presiding Judge of the Franklin County Municipal Court to accept a grant in the amount of $2,589,856 from the State of Ohio, Department of Rehabilitation and Correction, and to appropriate from the unappropriated balance of the general government grant fund.
The purpose of this grant is to provide funds to the Franklin County Municipal Court Department of Probation and Pre-trial Services to adopt policies and practices based on the latest research on how to reduce the number of offenders on probation supervision who violate the conditions of their supervision.
This grant will continue to fund the salaries and fringe benefits of 15 existing probation officers. They will provide pretrial assessments and supervision to defendants in custody awaiting arraignment in the Municipal Court and perform specialized supervision of individuals placed on electronic monitoring. With regard to charge severity, pre-trial services will be limited to those defendants appearing in Municipal Court arraignment in custody for criminal misdemeanor and/or OVI. The program will not include the following charge categories: Traffic and Felony (conducted by Common Pleas pre-trial program).
Emergency Legislation is requested so the grant funds can be used as close to the July 1, 2023, grant start date as possible; this will allow the salaries of the 15 probation officers to be paid from the grant instead of the general fund preserving general fund revenue. The July 1, 2023 date is the start of the grant period and the grant funds must be used within the grant term.
FISCAL IMPACT
$2,589,856 will be expended from the General Government Grant Fund.
Title
To authorize and direct the Administrative and Presiding Judge of the Franklin County Municipal Court to accept a grant award from the State of Ohio, Department of Rehabilitation and Correction; to appropriate $2,589,856.00 from the unappropriated balance of the general government grant fund to the Franklin County Municipal Court; and to declare an emergency. ($2,589,856.00)
Body
WHEREAS, it is in the city's best interest that the Franklin County Municipal Court receive support for these enhanced probationary services for defendants awaiting trial; and
WHEREAS, grant monies from the State of Ohio, Department of Rehabilitation and Correction, in the amount of $2,589,856 are available to provide for salaries and benefits for 15 employees and to pay for program expenses; and
WHEREAS, an emergency exists in the daily operation of the Franklin County Municipal Court in that it is immediately necessary to approve the acceptance of this grant so that grant funds can be used as close to the July 1, 2023 start date as possible; this will allow the salaries of the 15 probation officers to be paid from the grant instead of the general fund preserving general fund revenue, the July 1, 2023 date is the start of the grant period and the grant funds must be used within the grant term; now therefore,
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS:
SECTION 1. That the Administrative and Presiding Judge of the Franklin County Municipal Court be and is hereby authorized to accept a grant in the amount of $2,589,856 from the State of Ohio, Department of Rehabilitation and Correction.
SECTION 2. Funds necessary to carry out the purpose of this ordinance are hereby deemed appropriated. That from the unappropriated balance in the general government grant fund, fund 2220, and from all monies estimated to come into said fund from any and all sources and appropriated for any other purpose during the months ending June 30, 2025, the sum of $2,589,856 is appropriated to the Franklin County Municipal Court according to the account codes in the attachment.
SECTION 3. That the monies appropriated in the foregoing Section 2 shall be paid upon the order of the Administrative and Presiding Judge of the Franklin County Municipal Court and that no order shall be drawn or money paid except by voucher, the form of which shall be approved by the City Auditor.
SECTION 4. At the end of the grant period, any repayment of unencumbered balances required by the grant is hereby authorized and any unused City match monies may be transferred back to the City fund from which they originated in accordance with all applicable grant agreements
SECTION 5. That for the reasons stated in the preamble hereto, which is hereby made a part hereof, this ordinance is hereby declared to be an emergency measure and shall take effect and be in force from and after its passage and approval by the Mayor, or ten days after passage if the Mayor neither approves nor vetoes the same.