Miscellaneous

Vermont Court Budget Dwindles

By Anne Skove, Esq.

"Not constitutionally required."

If it's in this category, it could be gone from Vermont's court budget to make room for constitutionally mandated services.

This is the case in Vermont, but we hear it around the country. Budget cuts are as popular as the Jonas Brothers, and will not be going the way of the Croc any time soon.

For non-mandated programs like ADR and customer service, get ready to prove your worth to legislatures. Studies showing positive outcomes such as time- or cost-savings are helpful. This may be as simple as it sounds: many court programs do have positive, long-term effects.

On the other hand, we can all cut something. Court administrators should bring their own ideas for cuts to the table, too. This puts the court in charge (to some extent) of the chopping block, and works as a concilatory message to the more dangerous branches of government.

It's also a great time for court administrators to get rid of things they didn't want in the first place. Pilot program not working out? Grant paperwork getting out of control? Plans for a new initiative not panning out the way everyone envisioned? Scrap 'em!

Good luck, and let the games begin!

See Judiciary Balks at Expected Budget Cuts, Louis Porter, Vermont Press Bureau (August 19, 2008). Comments below this article discuss mileage, etc. (What did we do before we were able to add our 2 cents to every single published story?).

Full post as published by court-o-rama.org on August 21, 2008 (boomark / email).