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While Spokane County District Court may not be the only deal in town, judges and an independent study recently showed it’s the probably the best deal.
The positives of continuing the contract – despite some worrisome possible budgetary negatives – convinced the Spokane Valley City Council to keep its pact with the District Court on Tuesday.
Council members again quizzed Judge Gregg Tripp of the District Court whether or not the court would be able to meet Spokane Valley’s caseload even if it faces budget reductions in 2010 and beyond.
“There may be things you couldn’t anticipate,” Mayor Richard Munson told Tripp, saying there is already a planned reduction in six court clerks and two court commissioners for next year. “Will our service level be the same?”
Tripp replied that the District Court will do its job because that’s what it is supposed to do.
“We would have an obligation to fulfill our part of the bargain,” he said.
Deputy Mayor Dick Denenny further pressed that any budget cuts would doubly affect Spokane Valley as it is just a portion – 18 percent – of the District’s Court’s jurisdiction.
But Virginia Rockwood, District Court administrator for Spokane Valley, said it doesn’t matter: All cases – whether they come from the city, unincorporated county or the small towns – are treated the same.
“We don’t manufacture these,” she said. “When (cases) come in, we react. Will Valley cases be treated differently? No.”
City Manager David Mercier expressed concern that it is up to the county commissioners – not the District Court staff – whether or not a courtroom is maintained at the Spokane Valley Police precinct building on Sprague Avenue. Tripp and Rockwood both said they would do whatever is necessary to keep a presence within Spokane Valley, even if it meant running a courtroom out of the City Council chambers.
City officials have spent much time wrangling over the District Court contract due to the legalities of severing the deal, if necessary. Under state law, the city could not break off relations with the court – or start its own municipal court or partner with the city of Spokane – until 2015.
Anne Pflug, of the Washington state Department of Commerce, was hired by the city to conduct an analysis of court services, and her findings largely determined that retaining the District Court was the most viable solution for the time being.
Council members had voted earlier this year to terminate its agreement for District Court, also due to state law. But on Tuesday, the council voted unanimously to send a notice to county commissioners that the city would continue its contract with the court.
The city pays $920,000 annually for the court contract and another $960,000 each year for related services like prosecution, public defense, and probation and pretrial processing.
In other news, the council will not meet next Tuesday due to Thanksgiving. Also, city offices at 11707 E. Sprague will be closed on Nov. 26-27 for the holiday.
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By
Mike Huffman
