A new proposal circulating through the Dane County Board of Supervisors proposes to stop suspending drivers’ licenses if traffic fines remain unpaid.

According to Clerk of Courts Carlo Esqueda, license suspension cases exploit the resources of the police forces and the courts, a problem that can be prevented if a more aggressive fine-collection procedure is employed.

“We definitely need to explore other ways to get people to pay fines,” said Capt. Joe Balles of the Madison Police Department.

Esqueda added the change can also reduce the heavier fines levied on drivers operating a vehicle with a suspended license.

According to a study conducted by students at the University of Wisconsin’s La Follette School of Public Affairs, the current system used to suspend licenses expedites the collection process.

However, the newly proposed system would generate more revenue for the city than solely suspending driver’s licenses or solely collecting fines.

However, the collection-only method did reap significant societal benefits such as lowering the workload of Division of Motor Vehicles employees, the police force and the court, according to Esqueda.

He added social costs can sometimes outweigh the cost of collecting the fines and suspending the licenses, adding the difference in revenue “may be offset by savings in court time.”

Judge Jim Gramling of the Milwaukee Municipal Court initiated this new system in the Milwaukee Municipal Court, making it the only court in Wisconsin to employ this system.

Esqueda said the proposal was greatly accepted by traffic court employees throughout the county, and various judges throughout the state are expressing interest in the idea. Larger counties such as Waukesha are also in favor of the proposal.

He added Madison in particular has more “tools in the toolbox” to carry out the initiative than other counties in the state that rely on third-party collection agencies.

Paul Rusk, chairman of the County Board’s Public Protection and Judiciary Committee, said he agrees with the proposal but is cautious of the county’s financial limitations.

“I think it is a good idea to move forward with this initiative, but I’m concerned that we don’t create a hole in the county’s budget in the middle of the worst recession since the Great Depression,” Rusk said.

Esqueda said people should not be worried about public safety, however, adding the traffic fines that go unpaid are for minor violations such as a parking ticket or an equipment violation. Because these fines are left unpaid they escalate, and licenses are then suspended.

“None of it is necessarily reckless driving behavior, certainly nothing dangerous to the people,” Esqueda said.

There is no timetable as to when a final decision will be rendered regarding the proposal, but Esqueda raised the issue to the Public Protection and Judiciary Committee Tuesday night. He added he hopes to get feedback from the community about the proposal.