MANAGEMENT NOTE - FINANCIAL ANALYSIS OF TRAFFIC COURT COLLECTIONS IN ADA COUNTY, IDAHO

In Ada County, Idaho, a collection problem existed for traffic court c ases, but no one knew the full extent of the outstanding receivables o r the court's collection rate. The District Court in Ada County conduc ted a research project, which calculated the approximate cost to the t axpayers for nonpaying traffic infraction offenders, the outstanding a ccounts receivables for 1991 through 1995, and the corresponding unear ned interest. The results were eye-opening and reinforced the importan ce for all courts to monitor financial reports on a regular basis, to be aware of the revenue-generating potential of a strong collection pr ogram, and to avoid assuming that collections are at an acceptable lev el.