Supervisors approve raise for DA
NORWICH – Per a mandate from the New York State Legislature, Chenango County lawmakers last week approved a salary increase for district attorney by a vote of 19 to 4.
The amount, which will escalate over three years from $120,000 to $152,500, is commensurate with the salary set by the Legislature for judges and justices of the Unified Court System. What’s different is the state picks up the justices’ increase, but counties must afford the lion’s share of full-time district attorneys’ compensation.
Town of Norwich Supervisor David C. Law, who voted against the resolution, led a charge against approving the mandate, saying the 2012 budget was already in place, that the salary would be “extremely high for this district” and should have fallen within the state-mandated 2 percent cap on property tax increases. Law requested a letter from the board to state representatives opposing the increase.
“I’m tired of all these done deals all the time. It’s time we take a stand,” he said.
Supervisor Jerry Kreiner, R-Plymouth, supported Law’s letter, but went further, suggesting that the state’s legislature amend or change judicial law that requires district attorneys to receive equal compensation to judges. Kreiner also suggested Chenango County return to a part-time district attorney, and thereby avoid the mandate.
“We could rely on full time assistants and make the DA part-time, but pay him according to his work schedule, full time if necessary. There are several options to make the position part time,” he said.
The state currently picks up 33 percent of counties’ full-time DA salaries, an amount that has steadily decreased through the years. Supervisor Wayne Outwater, R-Lincklaen speculated the amount would be at 25 percent by 2014.
Looking back to 2004, when the Unified Court System offered to pick up 50 percent of a DA’s salary if the county made the position full-time, Outwater said taxpayers will end up paying a full-time DA about the same rate “as we would have been (paying) without the 50 percent reimbursement.”
“That’s what you get with free money,” said Kreiner.
The supervisors from Norwich, Oxford, Pharsalia and Preston opposed the measure.
The amount, which will escalate over three years from $120,000 to $152,500, is commensurate with the salary set by the Legislature for judges and justices of the Unified Court System. What’s different is the state picks up the justices’ increase, but counties must afford the lion’s share of full-time district attorneys’ compensation.
Town of Norwich Supervisor David C. Law, who voted against the resolution, led a charge against approving the mandate, saying the 2012 budget was already in place, that the salary would be “extremely high for this district” and should have fallen within the state-mandated 2 percent cap on property tax increases. Law requested a letter from the board to state representatives opposing the increase.
“I’m tired of all these done deals all the time. It’s time we take a stand,” he said.
Supervisor Jerry Kreiner, R-Plymouth, supported Law’s letter, but went further, suggesting that the state’s legislature amend or change judicial law that requires district attorneys to receive equal compensation to judges. Kreiner also suggested Chenango County return to a part-time district attorney, and thereby avoid the mandate.
“We could rely on full time assistants and make the DA part-time, but pay him according to his work schedule, full time if necessary. There are several options to make the position part time,” he said.
The state currently picks up 33 percent of counties’ full-time DA salaries, an amount that has steadily decreased through the years. Supervisor Wayne Outwater, R-Lincklaen speculated the amount would be at 25 percent by 2014.
Looking back to 2004, when the Unified Court System offered to pick up 50 percent of a DA’s salary if the county made the position full-time, Outwater said taxpayers will end up paying a full-time DA about the same rate “as we would have been (paying) without the 50 percent reimbursement.”
“That’s what you get with free money,” said Kreiner.
The supervisors from Norwich, Oxford, Pharsalia and Preston opposed the measure.
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