By Erica Solvig
The Cincinnati Enquirer

MASON - City Council, which has repeatedly questioned changes Mason Municipal Court Judge George Parker has made in his first year on the job, approved staffing additions and reorganization for the court.

But before council voted 5-2 to add five positions and fund others differently, it discussed at length Monday why these positions were needed and how they would be funded.

"The money's there; it's just that we can't spend it without an OK," Clerk of Court William Scherpenberg said to council. "This uses the money in a constructive way."

He argued that the court's special-projects funds - in addition to the city and county funding already being used - would pay for the positions.

The court employees are not city employees, but are on city payroll. State law says the city must authorize all the salaries.

Three of the positions created Monday already were approved in the 2003 city budget, according to city officials. The other new positions were clerks.

Some council members criticized the court's funding proposal.

"Just because you have those funds available doesn't mean you have to spend them," Councilman Dick Staten said.

He, along with Councilman Peter Beck, voted against the staffing amendments - partly, they said, because they wanted more detailed information.

Before voting, several council members questioned why the additional positions were even needed, especially after Scherpenberg said the court had seen a significant drop in traffic cases.

The Ohio State Highway Patrol, he said, had a 49 percent caseload drop in January.

"What are they doing then if they've had a 49 percent reduction in case load? What are these people doing?" Staten asked of court employees.

But Scherpenberg said the drop was only temporary, and said the staff had used the time to "catch up" on work. Additionally, he argued, the positions being created dealt mainly with probation cases, not traffic cases.

Mason Municipal Court hears misdemeanor criminal and traffic cases, initial hearings for felony offenders and some civil complaints. Council considers staffing and compensation changes when they are requested by Parker.

Since the judge took the bench last year, council has approved addition of two deputy clerks, a chief probation officer, a deputy probation officer, a bailiff and a chief magistrate - and increased salary for chief bailiff and a deputy clerk.

Council also defeated a staff change ordinance in September that would have added a deputy clerk/probation assistant.

E-mail esolvig@enquirer.com