The long arm of the law needs to be longer
NORWICH – Citing an increase in violent crime and four open homicide cases on his docket, Chenango County District Attorney Joseph A. McBride requested additional staff Wednesday at a meeting of the county’s Personnel Committee.
“We are severely understaffed when you look at what the other counties in our area have,” he said. “It would be easier to do my job if I had a little bit more help in my office.”
McBride’s request would increase his staff from one full-time attorney to two, decrease the number of part-time attorneys from four to two, and increase his support staff from one to two. Neighboring Cortland County (population, 49,000) has four full-time attorneys, two part-time attorneys and four support staff. Delaware County (population, 48,000) has three full-time attorneys, no part-timers and two support staff.
The net increase for his department would be $26,000, he said. In a prepared statement to committee, McBride read: “This is the first time that I have asked the county to fund a position with additional local dollars. Previous additions to staff in my tenure have been almost wholly funded by grants from the State of New York.”
The DA also pointed to a discrepancy in the amount of local funding his office has received compared to that of the Public Defender’s Office. First Assistant District Attorney Robert M. Larkin was on hand at the meeting to support McBride’s request.
“It was understood back in 1986 that the Public Defender’s Office would never be on a higher level of salary that the DA’s,” Larkin said. According to last year’s budget, the PD’s office is receiving $155,000 more in local funding.
McBride’s request appeared to confuse Personnel Committee Chairman Wayne C. Outwater. Personnel had received a referral from the Safety and Rules Committee to merge the two part-time assistants into one full-time affective Sept. 10 and create the new position next year.
“If the issue is temporary help until the end of the year, we can talk about that, but we can’t do anything with positions for the 2008 budget. You should go through the budget process first,” he said.
McBride said he needed interim relief right away, and he was in the process of luring an experienced lawyer to the area. “I can’t get someone to leave their job for a position that might not in the budget next year,” he said.
Outwater accepted a motion to table the matter.
e-mail: mdecordova@evesun.com
“We are severely understaffed when you look at what the other counties in our area have,” he said. “It would be easier to do my job if I had a little bit more help in my office.”
McBride’s request would increase his staff from one full-time attorney to two, decrease the number of part-time attorneys from four to two, and increase his support staff from one to two. Neighboring Cortland County (population, 49,000) has four full-time attorneys, two part-time attorneys and four support staff. Delaware County (population, 48,000) has three full-time attorneys, no part-timers and two support staff.
The net increase for his department would be $26,000, he said. In a prepared statement to committee, McBride read: “This is the first time that I have asked the county to fund a position with additional local dollars. Previous additions to staff in my tenure have been almost wholly funded by grants from the State of New York.”
The DA also pointed to a discrepancy in the amount of local funding his office has received compared to that of the Public Defender’s Office. First Assistant District Attorney Robert M. Larkin was on hand at the meeting to support McBride’s request.
“It was understood back in 1986 that the Public Defender’s Office would never be on a higher level of salary that the DA’s,” Larkin said. According to last year’s budget, the PD’s office is receiving $155,000 more in local funding.
McBride’s request appeared to confuse Personnel Committee Chairman Wayne C. Outwater. Personnel had received a referral from the Safety and Rules Committee to merge the two part-time assistants into one full-time affective Sept. 10 and create the new position next year.
“If the issue is temporary help until the end of the year, we can talk about that, but we can’t do anything with positions for the 2008 budget. You should go through the budget process first,” he said.
McBride said he needed interim relief right away, and he was in the process of luring an experienced lawyer to the area. “I can’t get someone to leave their job for a position that might not in the budget next year,” he said.
Outwater accepted a motion to table the matter.
e-mail: mdecordova@evesun.com
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