UPDATED:Court Administrator Sharing Passed by Stone Harbor Council

STONE HARBOR — Sharing of the municipal court administrator with neighboring Avalon got Borough Council’s approval Tue., July 3.
The consolidation, reported here earlier, was tabled while council gave more consideration.
The agreement, after receiving Avalon Borough Council’s anticipated passage, will go into effect Aug. 1. It will continued through July 31, 2015.
Avalon will pay Stone Harbor $51,500 in the first year of the pact. In subsequent years, the annual cost of the services will be increased based on 50 percent of salary and benefit costs. Stone Harbor will give Avalon anticipated expenses no later than Jan. 10 of each year.
Stone Harbor will provide the certified court administrator who will carry out all duties including supervising the deputy municipal court administrators in each municipality. Those duties include interviewing persons wishing to file criminal or quasi-criminal complaints or who wish information in that regard, according to the resolution. That person will also maintain the financial records of the courts including oversight of receipt and accounting for fines and costs.
Each borough reserves the right to maintain its own courtroom and court office as well as the right to appoint their own judge, prosecutor and public defender.
Provision for the consolidation is contained in the state’s “Uniformed Shared Services and Consolidation Act.”
Mary Monks, Avalon’s long-time court administrator, passed away in June.
Deborah Scott is Stone Harbor’s municipal court administrator.
While both resorts will maintain their own courtrooms and court dates, the court administrator will “float” between both facilities.
There is also a withdrawal clause, either borough may withdraw from the agreement at the end of a calendar year, provided that 120 notice has been given of that intention.
“This is a tremendous opportunity for both neighboring communities to main an exceptionally high level of services while saving taxpayers considerable money,” stated Mayor Suzanne Walters. She cited Gov. Chris Christie’s encouragement of communities to share services when possible and that the borough had “found another way to share a key municipal service with another municipality.”