Explanation
Background:
This legislation will authorize the appropriation of $30,000.00 from the Bad Checks Fund. The fund collects fees relating to the City Attorney's Bad Checks Diversion Program and funds a portion of the salary of the Bad Checks Program Coordinator.
The Bad Checks Program is designed to reduce the number of bad check cases that backlog the court and to help local merchants recover the money they are owed. The staff works directly with the merchant and the check writer to resolve the matter and therefore keep the case out of the court system.
In 2015, the program diverted approximately 4,991 criminal complaints from the court system and recovered approximately $215,808 for the merchants.
Fiscal Impact:
Collected fees partially fund the Bad Checks Diversion Program. The cash balance of the fund as of 12/31/15 was $24,361. The anticipated revenue coming into said fund in 2016 is approximately $10,000.
Title
To authorize the appropriation of $30,000.00 from the fees collected by the City Attorney's Bad Checks Diversion Program for the purpose of partially funding said program and to declare an emergency. ($30,000.00)
Body
WHEREAS, administrative fees are imposed and collected by the City Attorney's Office for participation in the Bad Checks Diversion Program, and
WHEREAS, the cost of this program is partly supported by the fees collected, and
WHEREAS, an emergency exists in the usual daily operation of the City Attorney's Office in that it is immediately necessary to authorize the appropriation of these collected fees for the continuance of the program and for the preservation of public peace, property, safety, health and welfare; and now therefore,
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS, OHIO:
SECTION 1. That from the unappropriated monies and from all monies estimated to come into said fund from any and all sources and unappropriated for any other purpose during the fiscal year ending December 31, 2016,...
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