Tentative Deal Struck to Fund O.C. Courts

Emerging from a second day of negotiations, county supervisors and judges announced Monday that they are close to resolving a $13.9-million funding dispute with a plan that would provide the courts with far less money this year than originally sought.

The judges have insisted that the courts will close in mid-May without more money and have threatened to sign an order forcing the county to make the appropriation unless an agreement is struck soon.

Under a tentative deal “blueprint” reached Monday, the courts would agree to slash their request for immediate funding from $13.9 million to $6 million or less.

The remainder--$8 million to $10 million--would be allocated over several years, lessening the hit on the county’s budget and forestalling future funding showdowns.

Critical projects sought by the courts, such as installing airport-style security at the Central Courthouse in Santa Ana, would be delayed until the next budget year under the plan.

“We don’t want to go through this year after year after year,” said Supervisor Thomas W. Wilson, who is negotiating for the county along with Board of Supervisors Chairman William G. Steiner. “We have brought the numbers [requested by the courts] down significantly. It was low when we met last week and it is even lower now.”

Theodore E. Millard, presiding judge for the Orange County Superior Court, said the courts could cope with significantly less funding this year as long as the board promised that needed projects will be funded in the near future.

Court administrators are awaiting a “position paper” by county officials that is expected to clarify some numbers discussed Monday and solidify what the courts would receive next year.

“We still have to agree on an approach for next year. That could be a stumbling block,” Millard said. “We have made progress. . . . We hope to put together a [deal] that everyone can be comfortable with.”

The judges originally said the courts needed about $18 million to remain open through June, the end of the fiscal year. But after an initial round of negotiations last week, the courts reduced their request to $13.9 million.

County Chief Executive Officer Jan Mittermeier has disputed the judges’ grim scenario, noting that the courts have already been allocated $130 million, roughly the same amount they got last year. Mittermeier has also said that the courts have never proven they have a funding shortfall.

But Wilson and Steiner said Monday that the courts have demonstrated a need for additional funds, but not as much as originally requested.

Even if negotiators reach a settlement, it must still win approval from the Board of Supervisors.

Supervisor Jim Silva has said he would probably oppose allocating additional county funds, questioning whether the courts’ needs are legitimate. He also said the courts should seek funding from the state, not the county.

Steiner and Wilson acknowledged Monday that any agreement must be acceptable to at least one other supervisor.

“We really have to sell this to the board,” Steiner said. “There is a feeling [elsewhere in the state] that we shouldn’t reach an agreement and should take this to court. But I don’t believe spending taxpayer dollars on a court battle will get us anywhere.”

Given the county’s lean budget, it remains unclear where additional court funding would come from. Mittermeier’s office has said that it could only allocate the $13.9 million by cutting other department budgets.

But with the courts’ immediate needs reduced to $6 million or less, officials said more flexibility is possible. Steiner noted that the county’s $3-million contingency fund could be tapped to cover part of the allocation.