The Colleyville City Council on Tuesday night unanimously approved an interlocal agreement to combine municipal court operations with the City of Keller.

The Keller City Council is scheduled to consider the plan to merge its municipal court services with Colleyville early next month. If approved, residents from the two cities will begin sharing the municipal court at the Colleyville Justice Center as early as Oct. 1.

Terry Leake, Colleyville's assistant city manager and chief financial officer, said both cities' municipal courts currently use the same software, prosecution firm and warrant collections.

"There was the recognition that consolidation could provide efficiencies and cost avoidance for both cities," she said. "And additionally, Colleyville had adequate building space to be able to house the consolidation of the municipal court operation."

The consolidation of operations would not be the first time for Colleyville and Keller.

In 2010, Colleyville joined Keller and Southlake in combining its communications and jail operations. Keller approached Colleyville last summer about exploring the possibility of combining court services, Leake said.

Under the proposed merger, Leake said there would be separate court dates for each city and Colleyville would retain security, staffing, administrative oversight and financial management of court operations. Keller would pay an administrative fee to Colleyville, she said.

"Colleyville would have an annual operating cost savings of approximately $52,000," she said. "And Keller would have an annual operating cost savings of approximately $146,000."

Councilman Michael Muhm agreed with the plan to combine court services.

"I am in favor of these instances where we can combine services of different cities of like-mind and in similar demographics and service levels," he said. "I think it makes a lot of sense where we can. It certainly helps control costs a little bit for everybody."

The Keller City Council is scheduled to discuss the plan during its April 3 meeting. The term of the agreement would continue for six years, through the end of September 2018 with the option of two, five-year renewals, Leake said.