by Kristina Gabalski
Brockport Village Board members received their third report on the feasibility of establishing a village justice court during their regular meeting June 12.
In this report, Trustee Margaret Blackman focused on village courts in Geneseo and Fredonia, two villages which, like Brockport, are hosts to SUNY campuses.
Blackman opened her report by noting that finances are always an important consideration and that the village would not want to create a court if it would lose the $50,000-plus it receives annually from village ordinance and parking fines collected in the Sweden Town court.
“We want to make sure we would not operate at a deficit,” she said.
Blackman explained that she, Trustee Carol Hannan and Police Chief Daniel Varrenti, traveled to both Geneseo and Fredonia to gather information, talk with officials and take photographs.
She said that although more village courts are currently being dissolved across the state than are being formed, a study done in regards to consolidating the village and town courts in Geneseo found there was no need because of how efficiently the village court operates.
Blackman presented figures comparing SUNY enrollment, population density, police department staffing, arrests and fines collected for Brockport, Geneseo and Fredonia.
She explained that in Geneseo, the village and town share a court facility and clerks and that the court, “realizes $120,747 after all expenses (annually).”
The Village of Fredonia also shares a courtroom with the Town of Pomfret as well as judges and clerks. Fredonia realizes $120,839 each year, Blackman said.
The collaboration between Geneseo and Fredonia and their respective towns, “increases efficiency and saves costs,” she said.
If Brockport had its own justice court, it would be able to collect fines from VTL (traffic violations) and penal law arrests, Blackman said.
“In respect to current VTL and penal law arrests and fines, the Brockport Police Department works for the Town of Sweden at no cost to them,” she said.
In conclusion, Blackman said that after expenses, “We can safely say a village court in Brockport would realize more revenue than we currently receive without a court.” Blackman estimated the village could realize $50,000 to $60,000 beyond what it receives annually now for village ordinances and parking fines.
In her final report, Blackman said she would discuss the start-up costs of establishing a village court, the cost of legal services and where court would be held.
