Council backs resolution supporting second Fairborn municipal judgeship; judge outlines caseload and funding options

Council voted to adopt Resolution 18-22 endorsing pursuit of a second judgeship in the Fairborn Municipal Court. Judge Beth Cappelli presented an analysis prepared for the Ohio Supreme Court showing Fairborn’s caseload per municipal judge is among the highest in the state — the packet noted that Fairborn’s per-judge caseload is nearly double the statewide municipal average based on the cited table — and told Council this has been an ongoing trend for decades. She said a new judgeship would require statutory changes and an election cycle; the earliest practical effect would be for a judge elected in 2023 to take office in 2024.

Cappelli described possible funding strategies, including reallocating existing Special Projects funds, modest court-fee adjustments and seeking available grant or IDAP funds for related probation staffing. She emphasized the administrative burden on a single judge managing caseload and court administration. “This is not just a blip on the radar. This has been a consistent increase in our caseload,” Cappelli said. Council members expressed sympathy for the workload and acknowledged that funding a second judge would require a long-term, multi-year approach.