Tim Kiser Wikipedia/Historic Atlantic County Courthouse in Mays Landing.
By NANETTE LoBIONDO GALLOWAY
VENTNOR – Eighteen months after it agreed to eliminate its municipal court in favor of joining the Atlantic County Central Municipal Court in Mays Landing, the city is considering leaving the central court system and partnering with another municipality.
The Board of Commissioners June 22 approved a resolution providing Atlantic County with the required six months’ notice that it intends to leave the central court at the end of the year. Under the original agreement with the county, the city was required to provide six months’ notice if it intended to withdraw from the court within the first two years of joining.
“We are sending notice of the city’s intention to withdraw by the end of the year,” Interim City Administrator Tom Ciccarone said. “We are not locked in and can change our minds and stay.”
The city is investigating the benefits of joining the City of Brigantine’s municipal court, officials said.
Commissioner of Revenue and Finance Maria Mento said she had “mixed feelings” about the withdrawal, noting that costs are up, and revenue is down.
“On the one hand, maybe we didn’t give the county enough time to work out the kinks,” Mento said. “There were some things the state put on the county to handle that has cost money and caused a loss in revenue.”
Mento said “edicts” from the state and providing court security are issues that have affected costs for municipalities that agreed to be part of the county system.
Atlantic County Executive Dennis Levinson said Tuesday that although he believes there are still cost savings for municipalities, each town has the right to make their own decisions.
“There’s no hard feelings,” Levinson said. “They have every right in the world to pull out, just like they did getting in.”
Levinson confirmed that the state requires the courts to accept all state cases that do not produce revenue for the court because fines imposed are forwarded to the state.
“We are trying to get that legislation changed,” Levinson said.
Commissioner of Public Safety Tim Kriebel said there were problems with the court in the early months that have lessened.
“There were difficulties getting paperwork back and forth and clearing cases, which got better with time,” he said.
The city had cost-savings when it joined the central court, but Brigantine or another municipality may provide greater savings.
“Brigantine may make sense for the city,” he said.
According to the city’s approved 2023 budget, the city paid $282,428 to be part of the central court system in 2022 and it budgeted $285,000 for this year.
Ciccarone said the city is “exploring options” and has not reached an agreement with another municipality at this time.
“The door remains open for us to stay in the Central Court if we don’t find a satisfactory alternative,” he said.
The Atlantic County Central Municipal Court, the first of its kind in New Jersey, became operational in January 2022 with nine Atlantic County municipalities participating. Although in the Downbeach area, Margate and Longport chose not to join in favor of their own partnership, Ventnor was one of the first towns to join.
Additionally, former Ventnor Solicitor Timothy Maguire left his city post to become the central court’s chief judge. He is still with the court, but has stepped down as chief, Levinson said.
To save taxpayer dollars, Levinson proposed countywide dispatch and assessments, which failed to garner support from the county’s 22 municipalities.
“New Jersey is a home rule state, and everyone wants their own,” he said, but he is confident the court will overcome “bumps and problems” and there will still be savings for member municipalities.
“No other county has done this before,” he said, and changes in each town’s political make up play a part in local decisions.
The eight other towns that agreed to participate beginning in 2022 included the big three – Egg Harbor, Galloway, and Hamilton townships – along with Linwood, Northfield, Estell Manor, Weymouth Township and Port Republic. Corbin City is also a member.
In April, the Township of Hamilton Committee passed a resolution providing six months’ notice that it intends to leave the central court on Jan. 1, 2024, in favor of joining Hammonton’s court system.
Ventnor and Hamilton leaving will have an effect on the remaining towns, because the revenue generated will be split among fewer municipalities, Levinson said.
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