The Shamong Municipal Court now is managed by Southampton Township under a shared service agreement.
The resolution unanimously passed at July’s township committee meeting, but the move did not officially happen until last Thursday.
Shamong’s court has been a money-losing proposition in recent years, and this merger was made in hopes of addressing that, officials said.
Dating back to 2009, Shamong has seen net losses of $34,840, $46,672, $58,930 and $39,936 each year despite drastically reducing expenses each year. In four years’ time, total expenses have dropped from $87,379 to $73,299, yet the court still posted a net loss of $39,936 in 2012.
“As the numbers reflect, although expenses were significantly reduced in 2011 through 2013, we also experienced a significant reduction in revenue from 2009 to 2013 which was out of our control and only compounded the problem,” township administrator Sue Onorato said.
According to Onorato, the decision was a long and difficult one for the township committee and involved years of data collection, analysis and cost reductions.
“When our court administrator resigned this spring, we were left with the choice of finding a part-time court administrator or to consider a shared service agreement. Fortunately we were able to come to an agreement with Southampton Township, which will benefit both towns,” Onorato said.
The projected savings for the township made the decision an easier one in the end. While it will not be a profitable venture in 2013, the net loss is reduced by $31,930.
The township did recognize the inconvenience for residents as they will now have to travel to Southampton, but the projected savings outweighed any concerns.
“The money it saves us is worth any inconvenience. Courts are a big expense for townships, and this will help address that here in Shamong,” mayor Jon Shevelew said.
Shamong’s court offices were closed July 26–31 to allow for the move.
The Southampton Township Municipal Building is located at 5 Retreat Road, Southampton, 08088 and can be contacted by phone at (609) 859–2747 Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. through 4 p.m.
