The Allen Circuit Court cut its 2013 operating budget by $99,940 saving the County 6.1% over the court’s 2012 budget.  This cut comes on the heels of a 2012 budget reduction of 7.4%.

“The Allen Circuit Court continually looks at ways to do business in the most effective and efficient manner,” stated Eric Zimmerman, the Director of Court Services whose new position was created last year by combining two positions and ultimately saving the County more than $30,000.  This is just one of the ways the Court is doing more with less. “The models of yesterday are not as efficient,” further commented Judge Thomas Felts, Allen Circuit Court Judge. 

As part of the 2013 budget preparation, the Allen County Council mandated a 2.3% cut from all county departments in order to meet the anticipated budget shortfall.  Circuit Court was able to meet the mandated reduction plus reduce its budget by an additional 3.8%.  The savings came from a reduction in workforce through attrition and reorganization, not employee layoffs.  “We have been able to reduce our operating budget even though the number of filings in Circuit Court has increased annually by about 4% and the number of offenders on adult probation has continued to rise.  I have a fantastic group of people working with me.  We are always looking for ways to increase our effectiveness while being more efficient with tax payer dollars.  Our budget reduction is a testament to that objective” stated Judge Felts.

The Circuit Court handles criminal cases, civil cases, divorces, child support, and other matters of general jurisdiction. The court’s budget encompasses the Circuit Court, the IV-D/Child Support Court, and the Adult Probation Department.