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Council approves prosecutor office reorganization, adds $10,000 for deputy prosecutor position
Summary
The council approved a restructuring of prosecutor office pay lines that consolidates two budgeted salaries, spreads a $10,000 adjustment across multiple deputy prosecutor positions and creates ongoing salary-level changes.
Porter County Council approved staff-initiated reorganizations in the prosecutor’s office that reassign budgeted salary lines and add $10,000 to the salary for deputy prosecutor position number 12.
The prosecutor’s office representative told the council the request combined two existing budgeted salaries and added $10,000 to create a higher salary level intended to help recruit and retain attorneys. The office said the proposal would reduce a separate staff line by $80,976 (a consolidation) and apply parts of that amount across several deputy prosecutor positions; the proposal also relied on pretrial diversion fund balances as a possible backup source for the $10,000 adjustment. The prosecutor’s office said increased case complexity, firearm violence and internet-crime caseloads have increased workload and recruitment pressure.
Council members asked whether the child-support coordinator duties would be affected. The prosecutor’s office representative said the child-support work had been absorbed by remaining staff and that the federal funding that supports certain child-support positions carries restrictions that prevent those positions from being used in the criminal division.
A roll-call vote approved the requested reorganization and the additional $10,000 to the deputy prosecutor salary line. The prosecutor’s office representative said if the diversion fund covers the $10,000 it would be a one-time internal funding decision; if not, the general fund would cover the increase and the office would seek budget adjustments during future budget hearings.
Council members asked for follow-up during the budget process and for clarification on funding sources; the prosecutor’s office said it could sustain the increase next year but would return during budget hearings if necessary.
