Filing a civil case with the Gilmer County magistrate’s office may come with an added fee if a bill moving through the General Assembly passes.
Magistrate Judge Kevin Johnson requested the bill after taking office and assessing the technology needs.
“We’re trying to get caught up with other magistrate offices in the district and also out of the district,” he said.
One of his priorities is moving the office to digital storage and access, such as electronic filing. Computers in the office are hindering the process.
There are computers in the office still running old operating systems like Windows 6 and 7 which are not compatible with new software or even other hardware like scanners, Johnson said.
In addition, he would like to move to the use of laptops which would allow mobility for the magistrates in issuing arrest and search warrants.
Also included in his plans is upgrading the office to be able to take payments by credit card.
“Without the tech, you get bogged down,” Johnson said.
A technology fee would also allow the office to continually update technology so it would not come all at once, like it is now.
Some civil filings come into the magistrate’s office from outside of county. Johnson said the fee will help spread the burden to those who use the system from outside the county rather than just putting it on the taxpayers.
“I’m trying to think outside the box,” he said.
Johnson believes the fee will be between $3 to $5. The bill has a sunset date of 10 years, meaning the fee would go away after the period of time if it is not renewed.
Gilmer County Chair Charlie Paris said the need for a technology upgrade was discussed at a commissioners’ meeting. The board passed a budget amendment to allow for some upgrades to begin.
“It was a legitimate need,” he said. “That office really needs to be brought up to speed.”
He said the fee would be used to offset county spending for technology in the magistrate’s office in the future.