Bonner County approves $10,000 sign-on or relocation bonus for prosecutor hires amid staffing shortfall

Bonner County commissioners voted to approve a $10,000 sign-on or relocation bonus for new hires in the prosecuting attorney—s office after hearing that the office is losing staff and struggling to attract applicants.

The action came after the prosecutor told commissioners his chief deputy, Dan Rodriguez, submitted his resignation to join private practice and that several other prosecutors have left or will leave, leaving the office well short of its usual staffing. The prosecutor said the office is supposed to have six criminal deputies and two civil deputies and that, with recent departures and a deployment of one deputy to military service, the office would be down multiple criminal deputies and at least one civil position.

Why it matters: Commissioners and HR staff said Bonner County faces direct competition for entry-level and midcareer attorneys from larger nearby counties and from the state public defender system, which now starts new hires near $90,000 under recent legislative changes. Commissioners and HR staff said private firms also offer higher pay, signing bonuses, remote-work flexibility and other incentives that have reduced interest in county openings. County leaders said maintaining prosecutorial staffing is a statutory obligation and that a shortage would disrupt criminal-case processing.

Details of the discussion: The prosecutor reported that his chief deputy, Dan Rodriguez, had resigned to join private practice "primarily due to money," and that the private offer was "substantially more than we pay him." He said a part-time attorney who had stayed temporarily also gave notice, and another criminal deputy is deployed overseas and not available until April. He said the office had not received any applicants from recent law-school recruiting efforts.

HR presented a benchmarking comparison with nearby jurisdictions including Kootenai, Pend Oreille, Boundary and Shoshone counties and with city and regional employers. HR noted that Pend Oreille County offers a $10,000 signing bonus and recommended the county consider sign-on or relocation incentives to improve recruitment. Commissioners discussed starting salaries and ranges; several members and staff referenced a $90,000 entry point as a competitive minimum to match the state public defender starting salary.

Commissioners and HR explored options beyond bonuses: compressing the county—s step schedule (moving from a 15-step to a 10-step model was discussed), changing starting ranges, revising titles or reducing the number of attorney grade levels, and offering relocation allowances or other targeted incentives. HR was asked to model the fiscal impact of shifting current staff to a revised pay structure and to show where proposed changes could fit in the county budget.

Funding and contracts: Commissioners asked staff to review the county—s contract with the City of Sandpoint for prosecutorial services, which HR listed as roughly $85,000 annually, and to confirm other budget offsets that might help pay for recruitment changes (staff noted a roughly $30,000 annual savings from canceling a previous contract and other smaller savings). Commissioners said the Sandpoint contract should be reviewed to ensure it reflects current costs and availability demands.

Action taken: A commissioner moved to approve a $10,000 relocation or sign-on bonus for new hires in the prosecutor—s office; a second was given. On roll call the motion was approved with recorded "yes" votes from Commissioner Galvin, Commissioner Williams and Commissioner Kork. The motion was adopted and the clerk adjourned the meeting.

What comes next: HR will return with a proposal showing (1) recommended starting salaries and any revised tiering of attorney grades, (2) the cost to move current staff into a new scale, (3) recommended sign-on and relocation language for job postings, and (4) a review of the Sandpoint contract to assess whether its compensation should be adjusted.

Ending: Commissioners framed the bonus and the HR modeling as short-term and medium-term steps to stabilize staffing while they consider broader pay-scale changes and recruitment strategies.