0408 J
RESOLUTION NO. 4 0 8 ( #2 -89]
A RESOLUTION URGING GOVERNOR BILL CLINTON TO VETO HOUSE BILL
NO. 1727 AS ENGROSSED MARCH 17, 1989 ESTABLISHING SALARIES
OF MUNICIPAL COURT PERSONNEL INCLUDING THE JUDGE AND CLERK
OF THE JACKSONVILLE MUNICIPAL COURT; AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES.
WHEREAS, Arkansas law requires the City of Jacksonville
to operate on a balanced budget which requires the City Council
to examine all sources of revenues prior to determining the
expenditures for each City Department; and,
WHEREAS, the Jacksonville City Council met numerous times
and, in response to the citizens' request for no additional
taxes, based a budget for the 1989 year; and,
WHEREAS, the 1989 Budget included an increase in the
salary of the Jacksonville Municipal Court Judge from the 1988
salary of $36,400.00 to $37,856.00, which represented a four per-
cent (4 %) increase, the same amount of increase for all higher
paid City employees; and,
WHEREAS, if this Bill is not vetoed, this would mean one
(1) employee, because of State intervention, would receive over a
fifteen percent (15 %) pay increase after the budget process has
been completed and would be unfair to the other over two hundred
(200) employees of the City; and,
WHEREAS, the work load of the Jacksonville Municipal Court
Judge in 1987 was 4,754 traffic case filings and 2,292 criminal
case filings and reduced in 1988 to 2,598 traffic case filing
and 2,429 criminal case filing, plus 131 small claims filings,
for a total case reduction from 7,046 in 1987 to 5,158 in 1988;
and, revenues for the Jacksonville Municipal Court for 1988 were
approximately $83,000.00 below the revenues for 1987; and,
WHEREAS, the Jacksonville City Council has endeavored to
treat all employees fairly in regard to pay raises; and,
WHEREAS, the Jacksonville City Council has first hand
knowledge of the City's ability to pay expenses and is in a
better position than the Arkansas General Assembly to fairly set
the salaries of the Jacksonville Municipal Court personnel; and,
WHEREAS, Jacksonville is the eighth (8th) largest city in
the state, yet the Municipal Judge's minimum salary for a part -
time position is the fifth (5th) highest among cities in the
State, and of the five (5) higher salaries, only three (3) of
those are not full -time positions; and,
WHEREAS, the Jacksonville Municipal Court Judge, even
though a part -time employee, is already the highest paid employee
of the City and this Act would increase the gap between the Judge
position and the highest paid full -time position by an additional
$4,144.00; and,
WHEREAS, the Jacksonville City Council feels it is
improper and against the democratic process for the Arkansas
General Assembly to execute pay raises for the City's employees
without the consent of the City.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE
CITY OF JACKSONVILLE, ARKANSAS, THAT:
SECTION ONE: We hereby urge Governor Bill Clinton to Veto
House Bill No. 1727 of the 1989 Regular Session of the Arkansas
General Assembly.
SECTION TWO: We hereby request that the work of the
Jacksonville City Council in determining the fair salary of the
Jacksonville Municipal Judge be the basis of setting the minimum
salary of the Jacksonville Municipal Judge for 1989 and any
future years.
SECTION THREE: This Resolution shall be in effect from
and after its date of passage.
APPROVED AND ADOPTED THIS 22ND DAY OF MARCH, 1989.
CITY OF JACKSONVILLE, ARKANSAS
BY:
I
TOMMY SW M, MAYOR
ATTEST:
Al
M. LEONARMOOITY CLERK
APPROVED AS"'TO FORM:
KEI H VAUGHAN, CITYr•TTORNEY