The Grant County Council convened for the third night of budget hearings on August 28, 2024, focusing on the public defender's office and community corrections. The meeting addressed critical staffing issues and budget requests aimed at improving legal representation and managing increasing case loads.

The public defender's office reported significant challenges in retaining staff, with three positions currently unfilled due to competitive salaries offered by neighboring counties and other legal sectors. The office has lost several public defenders to higher-paying roles, including one who transitioned to a judgeship. The current salary for public defenders is $50,000, but the office is advocating for an increase to $60,000 to attract and retain talent. The chief deputy position is proposed at $150,000, which would allow for a full-time commitment to managing cases.

Concerns were raised about compliance with state reimbursement guidelines, as the office is currently out of compliance due to staffing shortages. The public defender's office is exploring options to hire attorneys on an hourly basis to mitigate this issue. The council discussed the need for a sustainable salary structure that would make the public defender's office competitive with other legal positions in the region.

In addition to salary discussions, the public defender's office requested an increase in funding for an investigator's salary from $43,000 to $50,000, aligning it more closely with the compensation of investigators in the prosecutor's office. The budget also included requests for additional funding for supplies and malpractice insurance, reflecting the rising costs of legal operations.

The community corrections budget was also reviewed, highlighting that its funding is primarily derived from grants and fees from offenders. The department is currently managing around 40 electronic monitoring units and is looking to expand its pretrial home detention program in collaboration with the sheriff's office.

The council approved several budget categories for both the public defender's office and community corrections, signaling a commitment to addressing the pressing needs of legal representation and community safety in Grant County. The meeting concluded with plans for further discussions in the following sessions, emphasizing the ongoing efforts to enhance the county's legal and correctional systems.