The Benton Harbor City Commission is slated to consider the establishment of a Municipal Civil Infractions Bureau on Monday.
City Manager Alex Little has been pushing the creation of the office to increase city revenue, resolve minor issues affecting the quality of life in the community, and help residents avoid having to deal with the county court system. Speaking to the city Personnel and Finance Committee this week, Little said the bureau would offer residents who have committed minor civil infractions to pay their fine right at city hall. He said the current system of citizens going through the county leaves much to be desired.
“Whenever it got resolved, we wouldn’t know anything about it being resolved,” Little said. “And if they were fined, if they got fined 50 bucks, we’d be lucky if $2 got back to the city.”
Little said the bureau could also help residents avoid winding up with a misdemeanor on their record by having minor issues be classified as civil infractions. For example, someone who is caught dumping.
“Instead of it being written as a misdemeanor, which makes them have to go over to the court process, we could write them a ticket and offer them the option to clean it up and get rid of it, and then they can come right down here and pay their ticket downstairs.”
As Little talked about the city’s strapped finances at the meeting, he said the Civil Infractions Bureau is another way for the city to generate more revenue. Commissioners were previously told residents who want to appeal their fines can still do so via the county courts.
The city commission on Monday will consider approving an ordinance to create a Municipal Civil Infractions Bureau, with the ability to collect the fines on civil infraction citations.
