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Public Urges Legislature to Back Full-Time Investigator for District Attorney; Resolution Passes 21–1
Summary
A public commenter urged the Ulster County Legislature to approve reclassifying a part-time investigator to full-time in the district attorney's office; the body approved Resolution 4 37 by a 21–1 vote.
The Ulster County Legislature voted 21 to 1 to amend the 2025 county budget and reclassify a part-time investigator in the District Attorney's office to a full-time position, a change advocates said is necessary to support investigations of crimes against minors.
Anne Peters, a resident of the village of Saugerties, spoke during public comment on Resolution 4 37 and urged the legislature to "vote yes for this resolution," saying investigations into alleged decades-long abuse require more time and resources. "Investigating crimes against children is already difficult," Peters said, adding that hesitation "in the face of crimes against children is unacceptable."
The resolution, described in the meeting as amending the 2025 Ulster County position listing and budget for the District Attorney, carried a strong majority. The clerk recorded the vote as "a short yes with 1 no: Legislator Guevarais." The resolution increases staffing capacity in the DA's office to support ongoing investigations; the transcript notes the estimated cost for this reclassification was cited as under $7,000 during public remarks.
Background and context: Peters referenced a DA report to the Saugerties town board alleging a "disturbing cover up culture" going back more than 20 years and said that collecting evidence in such investigations requires prompt action and additional staff time. The transcript does not provide further detail about the underlying investigation beyond Peters' remarks.
What happens next: Per the resolution, the county budget and position listing have been amended for 2025 to reflect the investigator's full-time status; any operational details such as hiring, start date and supervisorial assignments will follow county personnel procedures and DA office staffing processes.
