Circuit and juvenile courts cite juror pay, IT and detention security as drivers of FY27 budget increases

Presiding Judge Chris McGra and court administrators presented combined circuit and juvenile court budgets to the Budget Committee, highlighting personnel and facilities as principal cost drivers for FY27.

Circuit court administrator Amanda Saddamu said the circuit court is proposing a 7.35% budget increase and added two full‑time positions: a pre‑trial bond supervisor to support growing pre‑trial case loads and an IT technical support analyst to maintain newly modernized courtrooms. Saddamu noted judges approved a 4.5% cost‑of‑living raise and said the state still reimburses juvenile salaries (about $4.3 million). She provided a cost comparison: "the daily average cost to house an inmate at the justice center, it was $1,176. The daily cost of electronic monitoring ... is $6.75 per day," and said the court seeks responsible use of monitoring and pre‑trial services.

JC Wheelen, the assistant court administrator and chief juvenile officer, described juvenile court operations and asked for a set of facility upgrades driven by safety and reliability: door replacements (noting wooden doors vulnerable to breach), exterior door lock/control upgrades, expanded access readers and sensors, and higher emergency repair and HVAC budgets — figures that reflect recent actual spending spikes. Wheelen estimated door upgrades at roughly $120,000 and explained that detention facilities require rapid-response capacity because juveniles are housed 24/7.

Public Administrator Sean Rap told the committee his office manages a high-volume guardianship and fiduciary caseload (more than 550 adult guardianships and roughly $14.5 million in state assets under management) and is asking to add a full‑time attorney/chief deputy to bolster legal capacity; he said the office will use a modest surplus in a special fund to support a $40,000 facilities allocation if relocation steps advance.

Committee members thanked presenters and discussed follow-up items including juror pay implementation mechanics and opportunities to tour court facilities. The court said it would provide further detail on software implementation and remaining facility needs.