Evaluators reviewed Municipal Court funding between 2008 and 2015 and found that three entities were responsible for funding the Court (City, State, and Court), but the ambiguity of the legal framework failed to delineate clearly each entity’s responsibilities. The resulting financial practices raised numerous concerns regarding the transparency, accuracy, and legality of the Court’s funding structure.

The OIG recommended that the City fully fund Municipal Court operations through a General Fund appropriation, and the Court and the City should improve the transparency of their financial arrangements. In addition, the City should lobby the state legislature to repeal the laws that establish fees to fund Municipal Court.