Municipal Court Judge Nancy Thomas and her staff likely will increase court fees and some fines in the coming weeks, following approval Monday by the Vicksburg Board of Mayor and Aldermen.

Thomas said the current ordinance that lists municipal court costs is outdated and includes only a $1 court fee for misdemeanor convictions other than traffic violations, public drunkenness, illegal drug and alcohol possession. The new list of court fees will include specific charges for additional crimes and court requests.

“We’re just going to have to sit down to decide what is fair and realistic,” said Thomas, a former city attorney who was appointed to the bench by the Board of Mayor and Aldermen last year. “I don’t know how long it will take.”

In Mayor Paul Winfield’s absence, North Ward Aldermen Michael Mayfield and South Ward Alderman Sid Beauman approved a change to the city ordinance that formerly spelled out court fees. The ordinance now will allow the judge to change fees by a court order instead of an ordinance change, and it will require local fees are in accordance with state statutes.

City Attorney Lee Davis Thames Jr. said all of the court’s fees are likely to be raised.

“(Our) figures are less than what is allowable by state statute, so by modifying our ordinance we can then charge what we are allowed to by the state,” he explained to the board.

Thomas said some fines may be revised, too.

“The fines have not been increased in a very long time, and we may increase some of those as well,” she said.

Beauman said he feels the increases are necessary.

“There’s still no way it will cover our court costs,” he said.

Reached after the meeting, Winfield said he was in Hattiesburg on personal business Monday and would be back in Vicksburg today. Winfield was in Washington, D.C., for a conference on community service Wednesday through Saturday.