Bonneville County seeks $200,000 increase in Idaho Falls court costs

Bonneville County is seeking a substantial increase in the amount of money the city of Idaho Falls pays for Magistrate Court services. Direct costs have not been adjusted since 2013. This year, Idaho Falls will pay $400,000 for court services. But, beginning with Fiscal Year 17-18, the county wants to increase the city’s contribution to $600,000 through incremental increases of $50,000 per year over the next four years. The county said it needs the additional funding to help pay for a 4th Magistrate Judge, which was approved by the Idaho legislature this year, computer network support, video conferencing, evidence presentation technology, and other one-time and annual operating expenses. According to Bonneville County, the city is the largest user of Magistrate Court services. The city is responsible for 47 percent of infractions and 60 percent of the misdemeanors handled by the courts each year. Most felony cases are handled by the Bonneville County Prosecutor’s Office.
According to a report prepared for Mayor Rebecca Casper, the county said the clerical operational cost of providing courts to the city of Idaho Falls increased from $415,000 to $554,000 in Fiscal Year 15-16. County Commissioners will meet with the Idaho Falls City Council to begin negotiating costs on Monday.