DISTRICT REORG. & NEW JUDGESHIP - S.B. 257 (S-4): FLOOR ANALYSIS
Senate Bill 257 (Substitute S-4 as reported)
Sponsor: Senator Bill Bullard, Jr.
Committee: Judiciary
CONTENT
The bill would amend the Revised Judicature Act (RJA) to provide for the reorganization of the first and second divisions of the 52nd judicial district by combining them into one division and allowing an additional judgeship in that division. The bill is tie-barred to Senate Bill 769, which would amend the RJA to reorganize the 27th judicial district.
The first division of the 52nd judicial district currently has three judges and consists of the Cities of Novi, South Lyon, Wixom, and Walled Lake and the Townships of Milford, Highland, Rose, White Lake, Commerce, Lyon, and Novi in Oakland County. The second division currently has one judge and consists of the Townships of Springfield, Independence, Holly, Groveland, and Brandon. Under the bill, if the Oakland County board of commissioners approved the reorganization by resolution adopted and filed with the State Court Administrator by September 1, 2001, the townships currently in the second division would be included in the first division and the second division would be abolished effective January 1, 2002. The incumbent judge in the second division would become a judge of the first division for the balance of the term to which he or she was elected.
In addition, subject to Section 8175 of the RJA, the first division could have one additional judge effective January 1, 2003. (Section 8175 provides that additional district judgeships may not be authorized to be filled by election unless each district control unit approves the creation of the judgeship by resolution and the clerk of each district control unit files a copy of the resolution with the State Court Administrator by 4:00 p.m. of the 16th Tuesday preceding the August primary.)
MCL 600.8123 - Legislative Analyst: P. Affholter
FISCAL IMPACT
Based on the current salary of a district court judge, the State would incur the following annual costs:
| Salary | $118,285 |
| Social Security/Medicare | 6,440 |
| Defined Contribution Retirement | 8,280 |
| $133,005 |
The State also would incur approximately $6,000 in one-time costs for electronic recording equipment.
Local costs would depend on support staff allocated to the new judge and whether additional office/courtroom facilities would be required.
Date Completed: 3-13-00 - Fiscal Analyst: B. Bowerman
floor\sb257 - Analysis available @ http://www.michiganlegislature.org
This analysis was prepared by nonpartisan Senate staff for use by the Senate in its deliberations and does not constitute an official statement of legislative intent.