Fines and fees sometimes do more to leave municipal authorities at odds with their poorest residents than they actually cover the costs of services.

At least, that’s the thinking of the National League of Cities, which has invited St. Paul and five other cities across the country to take a deep dive into a thorny topic.

The “Cities Addressing Fines and Fees Equitably” (CAFFE) initiative is designed to help six cities assess their use of local fines and fees, and if need be, develop fairer strategies around collections.

St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter recently established a new Office of Financial Empowerment, which will work with the National League of Cities on the assessment.

It’s an area where Carter’s administration already has some experience, to the delight of social justice advocates and chagrin of traditionalists.

In December, the St. Paul Public Library system unblocked the accounts of 51,000 patrons who had been locked out due to unpaid late fines. The library system also did away with late fines altogether for its materials, though patrons will still be expected to pay replacement fees if they lose materials.

Funded in part by JP Morgan Chase and Co., the National League of Cities initiative will offer grants and technical assistance of $35,000 to $60,000 so the six cities can assess fine and fee structures within at least one of their municipal collections and make program or policy changes.

The goal, as well, is to connect residents with services that improve their financial health.

Rather than study one type of collections, St. Paul will take a broad approach.

“What we’re using the funding for is to analyze our overall fine and fee structure, how they’re assessed and how they impact residents,” said Liz Xiong, a spokeswoman for Carter’s office.

In addition to St. Paul, the cities joining the project include Aurora, Colo.; Baton Rouge, La.; Durham, N.C.; Lansing, Mich.; and Nashville, Tenn.