Lakewood Municipal Court, City Hall at Odds Over 2012 Budget

A few line items in the city’s 2012 budget are causing some debate among officials in and .

Specifically, the court funds numbered 230, 234, 235, 236 and 237.

Court officials want those items excluded from the city’s budget because they believe the “restricted funds” are not subject to scrutiny and can only be spent by court order.

Meanwhile, city officials contend that all the money in the city’s treasury must be accounted for — including the court’s money.

At , Judge Patrick Carroll told members of city council and the city’s administration that the appropriations in the budget could be viewed as financial projections — a move he called “reckless.”

Carroll — who asked that the budget items be redacted — said the way the budget appears could land the city in legal trouble. He noted several pending lawsuits against other Northeast Ohio municipalities.

“These numbers are not reasonable and they are going to get this city sued,” he said. “I am very concerned.” 

Lakewood Law Director Kevin Butler said he is confident that the city won’t get sued, citing the city’s charter as well as a state auditor mandate requiring all the money in the city’s treasury be accounted for.

“The state auditor requires that the finance director report to the state every fund that’s included within our treasury,” Butler said. “Money comes in — from the cases that that have been prosecuted and fines that come in — to these special court funds. That’s just a way of accounting for them.”

He said that the city isn’t trying to take away the court’s ability to spend the money, it’s just trying to account for it. 

“The funds themselves are just a part of the city’s treasury.”

It looks as if Lakewood City Council will leave the items in the budget, as it has done for several years — despite objections from Carroll.

 “There’s nothing reckless about it,” said council president Mary Louise Madigan. “There’s good faith and some give-and-take about what goes into a budget book.”

To see the proposed budget click on the attached PDF.