By Perry Schaible
Enquirer contributor

MASON - City Council approved a revised request involving Mason Municipal Court staffing - after initially voting it down.

Council first denied a request Monday night that would have restructured several positions and salaries within the court - the latest in a series of staffing requests from the court under Judge George Parker. But after Councilman Tom Grossmann explained that failing to comply with certain court mandates could result in litigation, council voted again to pass a portion of the request.

The matter passed 5-1, with Councilman John McCurley dissenting.

The disagreement was over high percentages of some salary increases. At least one position would have gotten a raise of more than 30 percent, which would have taken another $9,000 from the city's general fund.

"We may be going to court, ladies and gentleman, and we're going to be spending a lot more than $9,000 if that happens," Grossmann said after council denied the first request. Grossmann, along with the other members of the court liaison committee at Monday's meeting, voted in favor of the initial request.

The positions council approved will be paid by a special court fund from court fees and fines under the court's jurisdiction.

"I just have difficulty in voting for 10 percent increases pretty much across the board and up to 40 percent," McCurley said, adding that city employees were given a 5 percent raise.

The second vote did not include positions in the original request that fall under City Council's jurisdiction and come from the general fund. These positions include clerk of courts and chief court officer/bailiff officer, officials said.

"It was a game in the sense that this position became that position, first it was here and now it was there. ... I'm not happy with it," Councilman Tony Bradburn said, adding he was afraid to go to court and be forced to pay for the changes.

Parker, who left the meeting before the second vote, declined comment. A letter from Parker to City Manager Scot Lahrmer says the changes reduce the court budget by an additional 4 percent, for a total reduction of 10.5 percent over last year's $1 million budget.