Richland County Prosecutor's Office seeks budget increase in 2024
Richland County Prosecutor Jodie Schumacher says her office needs more assistant prosecutors to reduce individual caseloads to help prevent burnout that causes them to leave, and also asked to increase the starting salaries for those positions in order to attract new people.
Schumacher spent nearly an hour presenting information and statistics to support her position as part of her budget hearing Tuesday before the county commissioners.
She told the board that she wants to fill four vacancies next year in an effort to reduce caseloads and the related compassion fatigue, vicarious trauma, secondary trauma stress and burnout to assist retention. She said she also wants to address salaries as compared to similar counties.
Schumacher pointed out that Ohio Administrative Code 120 prevents a public defender from taking on more than 150 felony cases in one year because they tend to become incompetent and ineffective, adding the she has “grave concerns” that her attorneys are approaching that figure.
“What I’m suggesting is that when we have attorneys leaving saying I can’t do my best work, I’m leaving for less work and more money, those types of comments are recognizing that they are either becoming burned out or incompetent as it relates to their cases,” Schumacher explained. “There’s nothing worse than showing up to a courtroom not being fully prepared for a pretrial, fully versed on all the pleadings that have been filed days before that court hearing, or even a motion hearing and that does happen.”
Regarding salaries, Schumacher told the board that her office’s starting salary of $55,000 per year for assistant prosecutors “does not even begin to touch those of other counties of similar and lower populations.” As an example, she noted that Preble County is hiring at $95,000 per year while Ashland County just “bumped” the salaries of two attorneys with less experience and no managerial experience to $95,000 per year.
Schumacher presented information from an Ohio Bar Association survey that showed smaller, more rural counties are paying $58,000 to $69,000 on their lowest range.
“If you look at my budget request, my increases are not at the top end. I’m asking to increase the bottom of my scales,” she said. “If you look at my base salary at $55,000 I’m still below level 1 (the smallest) counties. That’s where I’m talking about being able to compete — at the lower end.”
Schumacher told the board she is also is seeking more money to cover higher costs for expert witnesses, providing copies of case information under discovery rules, and transporting prisoners. Overall, the prosecutor’s office's proposed 2024 general fund budget was $2,550,176, which is 13% over the 2023 request. The 2024 proposal includes $1,408,413 for employee salaries, which is 10% over 2023.
Recorder, Veterans Service present 2024 budgets
Commissioners also reviewed 2024 budget requests for the Recorder’s Office and Veterans Service Commission, neither of which had any significant spending changes. However, newly appointed recorder Denise Jackson expressed concern that revenue next year will drop below her projected estimate of $343,000 because of declining real estate sales due to higher interest rates.
Jackson has proposed spending $341,402 in 2024. The Veterans Service Commission proposed budget for next year is $956,915.
Contracts awarded for Shiloh water project
In other business, commissioners approved a pair of contracts for the Shiloh water line replacement project. Dirt Dawg Excavating of Ashland received a $1,696,939 contract for the waterline work — which includes new fire hydrants and water meters. Iseler Demolition of Kinde, Michigan, will be paid $70,700 for the demolition of the Mechanics Street water tower that was abandoned several years ago.
Village officials said they may consider asking village council to review water rates since the project came in around $500,000 under the engineer’s estimate.
Commissioners also voted on Tuesday to:
Approve memorandums of understanding with employee unions to adjust the rank differential for salaries for correction supervisor sergeants and lieutenants at the county jail and for a salary for a new billing clerk position at the Wastewater Treatment facility.
Approve a 60-day extension to the current medical services contract for the county jail to provide more time to review proposed increases with a full renewal.
Set a Dec. 14 hearing at 10 a.m. for a request to apply brine for winter snow removal purposes.
This article originally appeared on Mansfield News Journal: Prosecutor's office seeks funding to fill 4 vacancies, raise salaries
