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, the sum of Thirty Thousand Dollars ($30,000.00) is appropriated in Fund 2223, Special Purpose Fund, Subfund 222320, Bad Check Diversion Program, Object Class 01, Personal Services, per the account codes in the attachment to this ordinance.
SECTION 2. That funds appropriated in the foregoing Section 1 shall be paid upon order of the City Attorney 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 3. That the funds necessary to carry out the purpose of this ordinance are hereby deemed appropriated and the City Auditor shall establish such accounting codes as necessary.
SECTION 4. 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.