Explanation
BACKGROUND:
This ordinance authorizes the appropriation of $12,000 for fiscal year 2013 within the Franklin County Municipal Court's fund for dispute resolution. The Franklin County Municipal Court instituted its pre-filing mediation program for small claims cases in 1984; the program provides mediation services for individuals and business who wish to resolve their disputes and avoid filing a small claims case. Currently, this program schedules 2,500 mediations annually. Another type of service, which is for businesses and government agencies attempting to collect on accounts payable, is the accounts mediation program that helps businesses resolve hundreds of cases each year.
To support this effort, the Franklin County Municipal Court instituted a special project cost, as authorized by the Ohio Revised Code, ยง 1901.26 (B)(1). The project cost is a $15.00 per case charge that covers up to five checks per debtor.
Funds are to be used to assist in the support of dispute resolution program efforts within the Small Claims Division, not to supplant existing funds. The intent of these funds is to provide for the purchase of services and other similar small claims-related expenses not currently available to the Court's small claims services department.
EMERGENCY: Emergency action is requested to allow uninterrupted payments to vendors.
Title
To authorize the appropriation of $12,000.00 for 2013 from the unappropriated balance of the Franklin County Municipal Court Judges dispute resolution fund for all anticipated expenses associated with the enhancement of small claim services; and to declare an emergency. ($12,000.00)
Body
WHEREAS, an appropriation of these funds is necessary in order to continue with the enhancement of small claim services and the payment thereof; and
WHEREAS, an emergency exists in the usual daily operation of the Franklin County Municipal Court Judges in that it is immediately necessary to undertake said activities, in order for the small claim department to commence expending these funds, all for the immediate preservation of the public health, safety and welfare; now therefore;
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS:
Section 1. That the sum of $12,000 be and is hereby appropriated from the unappropriated balance of the special revenue fund, fund 226, subfund 002, and from all monies estimated to come into said fund from any and all sources unappropriated for any other purposes during the fiscal year ending December 31, 2013, to the Franklin County Municipal Court Judges, department number 2501, oca code 226210, as follows: object level 1 - 02, $2,000 OL3 2000; object level 1 - 03, $ 9,500 OL3 3000; object level 1 - 10, $ 500 OL3 5501.
Section 2. That monies appropriated in Section 1 shall be paid upon the recommendation of the Small Claims Department Manager and upon the order of the Administrative and Presiding Judge, and that no order shall be drawn or paid except by voucher, the form of which shall be approved by the City Auditor.
Section 3. That for the reasons stated in the preamble hereto, which 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.