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City Council Report
Date:
May 18, 2026
To:
City Council
Through:
Ken Cost, Assistant City Manger
From:
Stephen Umpleby, Presiding City Magistrate
Shawn Haught, Court Administrator
Subject:
Intergovernmental Agreement with the State of Arizona for Jury
Administration Infrastructure and Related Jury Services for the Mesa
Municipal Court
Purpose and Recommendation
The purpose of this report is to request City Council approval of a resolution authorizing
the City of Mesa to enter into an Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) between the City
of Mesa and the State of Arizona on behalf of the Superior Court of Arizona, in and for
the County of Maricopa (“Superior Court”), for the Mesa Municipal Court’s use of jury
administration infrastructure and related jury services offered by the Superior Court.
Staff recommends that the City Council approve the resolution authorizing the City
Manager to execute the IGA on behalf of the City.
Background
The City of Mesa and the State of Arizona have maintained intergovernmental
agreements for jury administration infrastructure and related jury services for the Mesa
Municipal Court since prior to 2000. The parties have periodically renewed and
amended these agreements to ensure the continued provision of jury administration
infrastructure and related jury services necessary to support Municipal Court jury trials.
The purpose of the IGA is to allow the Mesa Municipal Court to continue to utilize the
Superior Court’s established jury administration infrastructure and related jury services
system rather than creating and maintaining a separate full-service jury operation
internally. Through this arrangement, the Superior Court provides critical jury-related
services including juror selection from the countywide master jury list, printing and
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mailing summonses, processing juror payments and mileage reimbursements, and
providing access to jury management systems and technology.
By utilizing the Superior Court’s existing infrastructure and expertise, the City is able
to ensure compliance with Arizona jury statutes and standardized jury administration
procedures while avoiding the significant staffing, operational, technological, and
administrative resources that would otherwise be required to manage jury services
independently. The agreement also provides operational efficiencies and reduces the
administrative burden on Municipal Court staff by leveraging an established
countywide system designed to administer jury operations in accordance with state
law.
Discussion
The proposed IGA outlines the responsibilities of the Superior Court and the City of
Mesa related to jury infrastructure and related jury services for the Mesa Municipal
Court.
Under the IGA, the Superior Court will provide jury management and related services
necessary to support jury trials conducted by the Mesa Municipal Court. The IGA
establishes operational responsibilities, service expectations, and the term of the
agreement.
The Municipal Court will coordinate jury service responsibilities in accordance with the
IGA, including compliance with applicable court and financial requirements, and timely
reimbursement for jury-related services. Additional details are outlined in the full IGA.
The initial term of the IGA will commence on July 1, 2026, and continue through June
30, 2028, with provisions for three (3) additional two-year renewal terms through June
30, 2034, upon mutual agreement of the parties.
Alternatives
The City Council could choose not to approve this IGA.
This is not recommended because the IGA would allow the Mesa Municipal Court to
continue utilizing jury services provided through the Superior Court. The proposed
agreement allows the Mesa Municipal Court to continue utilizing the Superior Court’s
established jury administration infrastructure and related services. By participating in
this arrangement, the City avoids the significant operational, staffing, technological,
and administrative costs that would otherwise be necessary to administer a full-service
jury program independently.
Without this agreement, the City would be required to dedicate additional personnel
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and resources to manage all aspects of jury administration internally, including juror
selection, summons processing and mailing, juror payment administration,
recordkeeping, technology systems, and compliance with Arizona jury statutes and
procedural requirements. Utilizing the Superior Court’s existing countywide jury
management system provides operational efficiencies and reduces the overall
administrative burden on Municipal Court staff while ensuring continued compliance
with state law and standardized jury administration procedures.
Fiscal Impact
Over the last five years, the Mesa Municipal Court has spent an average of $65,000
annually for jury services provided through this IGA. Beginning July 1, 2027, the
Superior Court will increase the cost-per-jury-summons from $2.90 to $4.35. Based on
the Municipal Court’s average volume of 1,500 jury summonses issued per month, the
estimated annual cost for jury services at the Mesa Municipal Court will increase to
approximately $78,300.
Coordinated With
This IGA has been coordinated with the State of Arizona, on behalf of the Superior
Court of Arizona in Maricopa County, the City Attorney’s Office, and the City of Mesa
Municipal Court.