Birmingham okays 48th District Court budget

By Grace Lovins

Birmingham city commissioners approved the 2025 budget for the 48th District Court, coming in at over $4.9 million, during the meeting on Monday, November 25, giving the green light to advance the court almost $2 million.

The 48th District Court’s budget has been a contentious topic in the past given the current funding agreement between the seven municipalities that the court services. Right now, three communities—Birmingham, Bloomfield Township and West Bloomfield—split the brunt of the cost, while the other four communities—Bloomfield Hills, Sylvan Lake, Orchard Lake and Keego Harbor—offer significantly less funding.

Birmingham, Bloomfield Township and West Bloomfield’s portion of the court’s budget is split based on the number of court cases coming from each community. According to city finance director Mark Gerber, the amounts are adjusted following an audit at the end of each calendar year, and the actual court expenditures are allocated to each community based on their actual caseload.

Court administrator Patrick Dunn said there has been a significant rise in the court’s caseload over the last year, with Birmingham being the largest contributor of cases. Part of the budget also shows an increase in salary and benefits as well as security staffing, explained Gerber and Dunn.

With the increase in caseload, the court is requesting a budget of over $4.9 million for 2025, which is similar to the 2024 budget. Birmingham would advance the court $1,936,977, which is a 3.8 percent increase compared to 2024, per the funding agreement.

As the court’s costs continue to rise, multiple commissioners have encouraged the city to look into what can be done to achieve a more equitable funding agreement. During Monday night’s meeting, commissioner Andrew Haig encouraged finding a way to inform the state that the requirements for funding the court is becoming strenuous for the city.

Dunn said the state has started to recognize that the current model used to fund courts may not be working to serve the public like it should. He said he doesn’t know how long the process is going to take or when it will come to fruition, but the state is taking a look at alternative funding options for the courts.

The commission voted 5-1 to approve the court’s budget for 2025, with commissioner Brad Host voting against approval. Host said he would not support the court’s budget given his belief that Birmingham operating its own court would be more cost efficient.