Chief Justice Beth Walker presented the state Supreme Court’s 2020 budget request in Tuesday’s Senate Finance Committee.
Walker said the total general revenue expenditures of the West Virginia Supreme Court was $127,235,284 in fiscal year 2018 and requested $131,150,000 for fiscal year 2020.
Walker explained a large chunk of the proposed budget, $107,850,000, would go toward four different areas including state employee pay raise, the conversion of IT workers from independent contractors to employees, the new judge and staff in the 19th circuit and an increase in probation staff and filling current positions which are open.
Other areas of the proposed budget are set to go towards repairs, equipment, the Children’s Protective Act and the Judges’ Retirement System. Minor areas of the budget have been set aside for buildings and the West Virginia Board of Risk Insurance Management premiums.
The committee was also updated on 2018 expenses which were over $100 million. These included purchases on attorney legal service payments, telecommunications, jury fees, software licenses and contractual services. Walker told the committee that new rules have been adopted to ensure that overspending is cut down. One adoption is a new travel policy that limits personal use of state vehicles.
“Even though we are an intendent branch, we don’t believe that relieves us of the need to be responsible to the tax payers of this state and to you, the overseers of our budget,” Walker told the committee.
Senate Minority Leader Roman Prezioso, D-Marion, asked about recent incidents involving expenditures on purchasing cards listed as miscellaneous expenses.
Walker addressed Prezioso and the committee about two separate incidents, both involving purchases at Victoria’s Secret, which were used as incentives in juvenile centers in the state. Walker explained that one purchase, which equaled $284, was used to purchase gift cards through the retailer that was used as incentives and rewards for good behaviors in juvenile centers. The other purchase which equaled $64 was for a graduation present for a juvenile at Monongalia County Youth Services.
Walker said the reason why these purchases were listed as miscellaneous in the budget is because incentives are filed under a sub-object category within the miscellaneous budget. She also mentioned that the Supreme Court sent out a memo to employees which explained what p-cards can and can’t be used for.
Sen. Craig Blair, R-Berkeley, closed the meeting by addressing Walker and suggesting that juvenile courts look to the community for donations that could serve as incentives instead of spending money from their budget.
