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Budget Year / Version:
FY 26
RECOMMENDED
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Mission Statement

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Budget Overview

County Priority Outcomes

While this program area supports all eight of the County Result Areas, the following are emphasized:

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Program Performance Measures

Performance measures for this department are included below (where applicable), with multi-program measures displayed at the front of this section and program-specific measures shown with the relevant program. The FY25 estimates reflect funding based on the FY25 approved budget. The FY26 and FY27 figures are performance targets based on the FY26 recommended budget and funding for comparable service levels in FY27.

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Innovations and Productivity Improvements

Program Descriptions

  Administration

The Administrative Office of the Circuit Court serves as a conduit for many operations of the Court. The Court Administrator's role is to facilitate the administrative functions of the Court and to develop policies to enhance systems performance, while maintaining the independence of the Judiciary. Basic functions performed by the...

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  Adjudication

Adjudication encompasses support staff for the Judiciary, Case Management, and Data Quality. Conceptually, this division monitors case assignments (criminal, civil, and family cases), provides expedited case disposition for incarcerated offenders, and provides supervision consistent with the complexity of each case filed. Adjudication and case management improve the efficiency of case...

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  Family Magistrates

Family Magistrates are qualified individuals appointed by the Judges of the Circuit Court to hear family matters and make reports and recommendations based on testimony and analysis of the testimony received at hearings. Family Division Judges continue to review the recommendations, make rulings, and issue orders based on the recommendations...

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  Case Assignment

The Assignment Office schedules and maintains all hearings, trials, and motion dates as well as special event dates for Judges and Family Magistrates of the Court and ensures that these events are scheduled in accordance with the Court's Differentiated Case Management (DCM) plans. The Assignment Office maintains all scheduling information...

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  Jury

The Jury Office manages prospective and active jurors for civil and criminal proceedings. In accordance with Maryland Courts and Judicial Proceedings, Title 8, every citizen may serve as a juror and must serve when summoned. The Jury Commissioner and staff dispatch questionnaires to prospective jurors using information gathered from voter...

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  Family Division Services

This program provides a variety of services for children and families, most of them funded by the Family Law Grant. Services include case managers that provide day-to-day management of cases supported by Family Magistrates, Judges, counsel, and litigants; custody mediation involving litigants in an effort to obtain a settlement of...

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  Technical Services

Technical Services is responsible for every aspect of the Court's information systems. The duties of, and services performed, range from installing and maintaining server/PC hardware and software applications to designing and troubleshooting complex computer networks and information databases. The department manages the electronic recording of all courtroom and hearing room...

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  Law Library

The Law Library supports the research activities of the Court, the Bar, and the public, and is the only law library open to the public in Montgomery County. The Library has a comprehensive collection of law, including U.S. statutes and the codes of Maryland, Washington D.C., Virginia, and local ordinances....

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  Trust and Guardianships

The Trust Office administers the case files for fiduciary entities (primarily guardianships) who are required to comply with the reporting requirements set forth in the Maryland Court Rules, Title 10, Guardians and Other Fiduciaries. The reports required to be filed include the Inventory and Information Report and Annual Fiduciary Report...

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  Grants

The Family Law Grant is funded by the State Judiciary and provides services to families to reduce conflict and introduce the parties involved in litigation to problem-solving techniques to help reduce future litigation. See the Family Division Services Program for a description of the services supported by this grant. The...

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Budget Snapshot
85.9%14.1%024681012141618Personnel CostsOperating Expenses
75.6%24.4%04567891011121314Salaries & WagesBenefits
Budget Trends
$16.3M$4.2M$15.2M$4.2M$14.2M$3.2M$12.9M$2.9MGeneralFundGrant Fund$0M $4.8M $9.6M $14.4M $19.2M FY26 BudgetFY25 BudgetFY24 ActualFY23 Actual
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Program Contacts

Contact Timothy H. Sheridan of the Circuit Court at 240-777-9102 or Derrick Harrigan of the Office of Management and Budget at 240-777-2759 for more information regarding this department's operating budget.

Related Links
Budget Summary
TitleActual
FY24
Budget
FY25
Estimate
FY25
Recommended
FY26
%Chg
Bud/Rec
COUNTY GENERAL FUND
EXPENDITURES
Salaries and Wages$8,966,588$9,608,457$9,732,036$10,431,1678.6%
Employee Benefits$2,924,660$3,061,130$3,102,211$3,382,94510.5%
County General Fund Personnel Costs$11,891,248$12,669,587$12,834,247$13,814,1129.0%
Operating Expenses$2,263,885$2,552,012$2,691,276$2,507,446-1.8%
County General Fund Expenditures$14,155,133$15,221,599$15,525,523$16,321,5587.2%
PERSONNEL
Full-Time999999990.0%
Part-Time4443-25.0%
FTEs101.6101.28101.28100.78-0.5%
REVENUES
State Jury Fee Reimbursement$744,570$1,165,570$1,165,570$1,165,5700.0%
Miscellaneous Revenues$54,286$55,230$55,230$55,2300.0%
County General Fund Revenues$798,856$1,220,800$1,220,800$1,220,8000.0%
 
GRANT FUND - MCG
EXPENDITURES
Salaries and Wages$2,290,329$2,926,106$2,926,106$2,865,349-2.1%
Employee Benefits$771,566$929,002$929,002$966,3574.0%
Grant Fund - MCG Personnel Costs$3,061,895$3,855,108$3,855,108$3,831,706-0.6%
Operating Expenses$196,298$313,059$313,059$395,49926.3%
Grant Fund - MCG Expenditures$3,258,193$4,168,167$4,168,167$4,227,2051.4%
PERSONNEL
Full-Time252727283.7%
Part-Time11110.0%
FTEs24.927.2227.2228.223.7%
REVENUES
State Grants$3,241,383$4,168,167$4,168,167$4,227,2051.4%
Grant Fund - MCG Revenues$3,241,383$4,168,167$4,168,167$4,227,2051.4%
 
DEPARTMENT TOTALS
Total Expenditures$17,413,326$19,389,766$19,693,690$20,548,7636.0%
Total Full-Time Positions1241261261270.8%
Total Part-Time Positions5554-20.0%
Total FTEs126.5128.5128.51290.4%
Total Revenues$4,040,239$5,388,967$5,388,967$5,448,0051.1%
FY26 Recommended Changes
TitleExpendituresFTEs
COUNTY GENERAL FUND
FY25 ORIGINAL APPROPRIATION$15,221,599101.28
Other Adjustments (with no service impacts)
Increase Cost: FY26 Compensation Adjustment$720,1240.00
Increase Cost: Annualization of FY25 Compensation Increases$304,2220.00
Increase Cost: Annualization of FY25 Personnel Costs$90,2830.00
Increase Cost: Change in Position Status from Part-time to Full-time to Support the Senior Judge's Coordinator [Administration]$62,1360.50
Shift: State Positions Supplement Non-Departmental Account [Family Division Services]$60,7560.00
Increase Cost: Adjustment to Compensation for Judicial Support [Adjudication]$28,5960.00
Increase Cost: Retirement Adjustment$9,4710.00
Increase Cost: Motor Pool Adjustment$2,5650.00
Shift: Rebalance Expenditures Charged to the Grant and General Fund to Align With Available Grant Allocation [Administration]($6,729)0.00
Decrease Cost: Printing and Mail Adjustment($47,131)0.00
Shift: Move Custody Evaluator Position from the General Fund to the Family Law Grant Fund [Family Division Services]($124,334)-1.00
FY26 RECOMMENDED$16,321,558100.78
 
GRANT FUND - MCG
FY25 ORIGINAL APPROPRIATION$4,168,16727.22
Federal/State Programs
Add: Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) Grant to Support the Problem Solving Court$72,4400.00
Other Adjustments (with no service impacts)
Shift: Rebalance Positions Charged to the Grant and General Fund to Align with Available Grant Allocation [Family Division Services]$66,0040.50
Shift: Rebalance Positions Charged to the Grant and General Fund to Align with Available Grant Allocation [Administration]$65,0590.50
Increase Cost: Mediation Training - Alternative Dispute Resolution Grant [Grants]$10,0000.00
Decrease Cost: Annualization of FY25 Personnel Costs($154,465)0.00
FY26 RECOMMENDED$4,227,20528.22
Program Summary
Program NameFY25 APPR
Expenditures
FY25 APPR
FTEs
FY26 REC
Expenditures
FY26 REC
FTEs
Adjudication$4,538,18335.5$5,123,86636
Administration$3,050,5749.28$3,160,7219.28
Case Assignment$1,554,64614$1,674,01314
Family Division Services$1,921,76315$1,954,88414
Family Magistrates$618,4186$656,1766
Grants$4,168,16727.22$4,227,20528.22
Jury$995,3934$1,027,2074
Law Library$527,6953$560,6243
Technical Services$1,687,52212$1,800,36612
Trust and Guardianships$327,4052.5$363,7012.5
Total$19,389,766128.50$20,548,763129.00
Funding Parameter Items ($000s)
TitleFY26FY27FY28FY29FY30FY31
COUNTY GENERAL FUND
EXPENDITURES
FY26 Recommended$16,322$16,322$16,322$16,322$16,322$16,322
No inflation or compensation change is included in outyear projections.
Labor Contracts$0$153$153$153$153$153
These figures represent the estimated annualized cost of general wage adjustments, service increments, and other negotiated items.
Subtotal Expenditures$16,322$16,475$16,475$16,475$16,475$16,475