CHARLESTON — Over just a few years, West Virginia’s court system built up a budget surplus of $29 million.
Almost as quickly, while the Legislature was giving the Supreme Court the side eye, the court spent down the money to a few hundred thousand dollars.
Now, the state Legislative auditor is trying to discern how the money piled up and, subsequently, the how The Supreme Court spent it down so quickly.
The Supreme Court oversees the budget for West Virginia’s entire judicial system.
The Legislative auditor noticed the court’s funds grew from $1.4 million, in 2007, to $29 million, in 2012. But by the end of 2015, the figure dwindled to only $333,514.
Chief Justice Margaret Workman, speaking before legislators Sunday, said “We don’t dispute any of the figures, obviously.” Workman said she raised issues internally about why the balance bottomed out in 2015.
Some of the spending went to raises, investment in drug courts and, of course, the controversial renovations over the last year.
House Finance Chairman Eric Nelson briefly made reference to a proposed constitutional amendment to give the Legislature greater oversight of the Supreme Court’s budget. West Virginia citizens will vote on the proposed amendment in November.
“What the Legislature has been screaming about is the need for greater transparency,” Nelson said. “I think this report demonstrates the need for that transparency.”
This is all part of ongoing controversies over the Supreme Court’s spending decisions. The auditor’s staff looked at how justices were using state vehicles when they came across a memo that made them curious about the surplus the Supreme Court was running.
Auditors became aware of the spending when they reviewed memos written by Justice Allen Loughry, who was since indicted on federal charges.
An August 2016 memo to the fellow justices questioned the “depletion of the court’s so-called rainy day fund.”
That sent Legislative auditor staff in search of how the excess funds accumulated until 2012 and how it drastically diminished only four years later.
In 2007, the carryover was $1.4 million. Just five years later, at the start of 2012, it was $29 million. And then the spend down began.
In fiscal year 2012, judges justices and magistrates all received pay raises totaling about $6.1 million. The court then carried over about $22.7 million into the next fiscal year.
By the end of fiscal 2013, the court was pushing a smaller surplus of $15.25 million.
In fiscal 2014, the rapid spend-down continued.
The court system increased spending in a variety of areas, such as new drug courts, the completion of remodeling and at City Center East and through raises for certain classifications of employees.
