By Ashley M. Casey
Staff Writer
In the wake of Village Justice Bob Bertrand’s sudden passing in February, the North Syracuse Village Board of Trustees voted unanimously March 22 to dissolve the court (Chuck Henry was absent). The board’s decision is subject to permissive referendum (see sidebar).
Mayor Gary Butterfield said court clerk Cindy Goodman, who is also Bertrand’s sister, has said she may retire, so the village decided to re-evaluate its need for the justice court.
“Judge Bertrand’s untimely demise and Cindy’s potential retirement caused the mayor and [Clerk/Treasurer Dianne Kufel] and the board members to take a look at the cost/benefit associated with having a village justice court,” said Village Attorney Scott Chatfield.
Chatfield said the village’s annual net cost of operating the court is $80,000 to $85,000.
“It’s a net loss, even counting the revenue,” Chatfield said.
Bertrand was elected last June for another four-year term as village justice. Chatfield said according to state law, elected positions cannot be terminated before the seat’s term expires, but village law allows the trustees to dissolve the court.
“We’re presented with an unusual circumstance here,” Chatfield said. “Basically, the term goes away because the office goes away, but you’re not playing political games because you’re not cutting short anybody’s particular term.”
Butterfield said there are two interested candidates, and Chatfield said the office of village justice may still appear on the ballot in June because there may not be time to remove it from the ballot.
“But there’d be no office for them to run for,” Chatfield said.
Chatfield cited a 1956 opinion by the New York State Attorney General that allowed a municipality to dissolve its justice court and the office of judge as precedent for the village board’s decision.
“We’re plowing new ground,” Butterfield said of the situation.
State law requires towns to have justice courts, Chatfield said, but villages are not obligated to do so. If the dissolution of the North Syracuse court goes through, the Cicero and Clay town courts would take over the village’s cases. Since Bertrand’s death Feb. 26, Judge David Gideon of DeWitt has taken over his caseload.
Butterfield said the North Syracuse Village Court saw 1,600 cases in 2016 and 1,750 cases in 2017, and has handled 375 cases so far in 2018. Clay would take over 60 percent of the caseload and Cicero would handle the remaining 40 percent.
As for the effect the dissolution of the court would have on other village departments, Police Chief Steve Rotunno said his officers would continue to write tickets as usual and the cases would be handled in whichever town where the crime occurred.
Codes Enforcement Officer Brian Johnstone noted that both Clay and Cicero town courts meet Tuesdays and Thursdays, and North Syracuse holds court Monday nights. Until the dissolution of the village court, “I could possibly end up in court three nights a week,” Johnstone said.
Johnstone said he has seven code enforcement cases in court right now, three of which he expects will take a long time to be resolved.
Director of Parks and Recreation Teresa Roth said the abolition of the court would free up storage space and “would probably bring down the budget module at least a few points.” She said that might allow the village to do more capital projects.
Without court being held Monday nights, Roth added, she would be able to rent out the Community Center to more local organizations.
“It would bring in some more revenue for the Community Center,” she said.
