MERRIMACK COUNTY — The Merrimack County Board of Commissioners voted to approve a 10% increase to fees charged to 18 towns for county prosecution services after more than an hour of questions and debate about subsidy levels and alternatives.

County Attorney Paul Helvorsen told the board the county prosecutes misdemeanors for 18 towns and currently receives about $96,000 a year from those municipalities for three prosecutors. "My recommendation is a 10% increase," Helvorsen said, presenting an attachment showing the projected impact on each town.

The proposal prompted sustained discussion among commissioners about fairness across towns with uneven case loads, how much the county is effectively subsidizing small towns, and whether some municipalities should pay more while others pay less. Helvorsen said the last increase was in 2022 and described the long-standing practice: "It dates back, I would say, jeez, decades." He estimated total salary and benefits for the three attorneys would roughly equal $400,000, and noted that the $96,000 collected from towns covers well under a third of that total.

Board members questioned whether a per-case or per-hour formula could be used instead of a flat percent increase. Helvorsen said staff had attempted to develop a calculation method but could not produce one that handled the many variables, including uneven caseloads between towns. He noted examples such as towns that generate few cases and others that generate far more, and warned that simply dividing costs equally among towns could over-subsidize high-volume towns and undercharge low-volume ones.

Several commissioners said they wanted more time to consider a larger increase; one commissioner said 10% was too low and urged further study. Others argued approving 10% now would give towns timely notice for their budget cycles while leaving open the possibility of additional adjustments later. Several members said individual towns already express appreciation for the value of the service in their budget conversations with county staff.

The motion to approve the 10% increase was moved and seconded. The board approved the increase in a roll call that produced nine affirmative votes and one opposing vote; the measure was recorded as approved.

The commissioners directed staff to keep the discussion on future adjustments open and to consider follow-up work that could include more detailed cost allocations or future increases, rather than immediate, larger changes. Helvorsen said if the county withdrew contracted prosecution services, the work would still fall to his office to handle for the towns, effectively shifting workload rather than eliminating it.

The board noted the policy implications of subsidizing local prosecutorial services and requested that minutes reflect the concerns raised. The approved increase is intended to give towns earlier notice for their upcoming budget cycles while county staff and commissioners evaluate longer-term allocation approaches.