City of Lawrence

Legal Services Department

MEMORANDUM

DATE:             April 13, 2007

TO:              David Corliss, City Manager

Debbie Van Saun, Assistant City Manager

FROM:            Toni Wheeler, Director of Legal Services     

RE:              2008 Budget Request

Overview

Please find the 2008 Budget Request for the Legal Services Department.  Excluding Personal Services, budget estimates for the Legal Services division budget remain at the same levels as the 2007 approved budget amounts.  The Municipal Court division, again excluding Personal Services, exceeds the adopted 2007 budget amount by $1,020.00.  The Department continues to face increased workload and increasingly complex legal issues on behalf of the City. 

Summary of Spending

Account 001-1080-522 Legal Services.  The reorganization of the Department resulted in projected savings in the Legal Services Division of $59,446.00 in Personal Services.  The budget request includes new software maintenance costs for the prosecutor’s Full Court software system.  The computer software installed in April 2007, will require routine software maintenance beginning in 2008.  However, this new expense is off-set by a reduction in the amount budgeted for the division’s computer equipment. 

Account 001-1090-522 Municipal Court.  Increases in Personal Services are expected and are included in the budget request.  A savings of $1,000.00 in printing costs, attributed to the automated ticketing system, is anticipated.  However, a new telephone call accounting computer system installed to assist the division with its performance measurements reporting requirements has led to a request for an additional $1,000.00 for telephone expenses.  

The 2008 Budget Request for Municipal Court exceeds the 2007 approved budgeted amount by $1,020.  The additional $1,020 in the request includes the following items:

· $500 for legal expenses (court appointed attorneys fees);

· $300 for dues and subscriptions;

· $220 for utilities (2% inflationary factor)

Significant Issues

In the 1080 account, the adopted 2007 budgeted amount for legal expenses is $75,000.00.  The expenses associated with defending the City in the cases filed by Wal-Mart and 6WAK may significantly exceed that amount if the cases proceed to trial.  From a departmental budget stand-point, that is an item of concern.