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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda - 02-09-2006-5eORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS i ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT Meeting Date: Febn~ary 9, 2006 Action Agenda Item No. .5-~~', SUBJECT: Approval of 2005 Jury Commission Compensation DEPARTMENT: Budget PUBLIC HEARING: (Y/N) No ATTACHMENT(S): INFORMATION CONTACT: Letter from Clerk of Superior Court Donna Dean, (919) 245-2151 PURPOSE: To approve the amount of compensation to be paid to the 2005 Jury Commission. BACKGROUND: The Budget Director recently received a request from the Clerk of Superior Court, James Stanford, to increase the compensation paid to Orange County's Jury Commission (attached). In accordance with N.C. General Statute 9-1, the compensation of jury commissioners shall be fixed by the board of county commissioners and shall be paid from the general fund of the county. In past years, the Jury Commission has met annually to prepare the master jury list at an annual compensation rate is $3,000 for each of the three jury commissioners. According to the attached letter, the process has changed slightly. In November 2005, the Jury Commission met and prepared a master jury list for the two years instead of just one year. The creation of the master jury list for the two-year period involves more work on the part of the jury commission members. To that end, it is requested that the current rate of $3,000 per year be changed to $6,000 every-other year. FINANCIAL IMPACT: The financial impact over atwo-year period remains unchanged from the current compensation rate. No funds were expended from the Clerk of Courts General Fund budget during last fiscal year (2004-05). Staff recommends that unexpended funds from the previous fiscal year be carried forward and added to the current year budget to pay the Jury Commission for their recent work. RECOMMENDATION (S): The Manager recommends that the Board of County Commissioners approve the amount of compensation to be paid to the 2005 Jury Commission at $6,000 far each of the three Jury Commissioners, nett ~~~ GtQL'E Of GVOT[!t I.: RM1OCVtR ~E72E2QG C~OU4E o f austtee JAMES G. BTANPORD, GLCnz Ez Ol~leie Juocc on PneenTc Ms, Donna Dean GL.ERK OF SUPERIOR COURT ORANGE COUNTY 106 E. MARGARET LANE HILLSBOROUGH,NC 27278 December 28, 2005 Orange County Budget Director 208 S. Cameron Street Hillsborough, NC 27.278 WADE EAREER Rzniozert 9ulemort Courrt luoee HAND-DI;LIV);RI;D RE: Compensation for 2005 Jury Commissioners Dear Donna: It is with a great deal of pleasure that I enclose herewith a request from the Orange County Jury Commission for payment of compensation, which I have approved. The Jury Commission has now fulfilled its responsibilities in preparing the 2006-2007 master jury list, I am immensely grateful to each of the jury commissioners for their service to our county this year. As Chairperson Terry points out in her request to me, this is the first yeaz that our resident superior court judge has formally allowed the jury conunission to prepare the master jury list for the next biennium as opposed to the following year. For reasons dealing with the content of the database presented to us from which the master jury list is prepared, it is no longer advantageous to prepare the list on an annual basis. I suspect that we will continue to prepare the list on a biannual basis rather than annually. As you would expect, the creation of the master jury list for atwo-year period involves significantly more work from our,jury commissioners than in previous years, Additionally, no request was made for compensation for the jury commissioners in 2004 as the courts continued to use the 2004 master jury list tluoughout year 2005, Moreover, no request will be forthcoming in year 2006 for compensation because, as previously stated, the current fist will be used through the end of 2007. Therefore on behalf of the jury commissioners I respectfully request that Orange County double t17e jury commissioners' compensation to $3,000.00 for their services just completed. Their conscientious, accommodating and patient approach to the jury selection process has made my involvement with the procedure a very pleasant one. I commend them for their dedication to their task and their loyalty to Orange County.. Donna Dean December 27, ?005 Page Iwo Sincerely, < •` s C. St ord encloswe cc (Ndo e~~c.): Ms. Joan Terry Ms. Shirley James Mrr. Bob Hall The Hon, Wade Barber The HHon. Joseph Buckner Bany Jacobs, Chair, Orange County Commissioners