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Legislature approves temporary funding to add assistant county attorney
Summary
The legislature unanimously authorized a contingency appropriation to create and fill one assistant county attorney position after the county attorney said current staffing causes delays and limits capacity for legal work across county programs.
Tompkins County legislators unanimously approved May 20 a contingent appropriation to create an assistant county attorney position in the County Attorney’s Office and to proceed with recruitment.
County Attorney Morty Josephson urged the addition, saying the office’s current two-attorney staffing level creates delays and limits the county’s ability to respond quickly to court schedules, provide timely counsel for policy work and reduce the need to outsource legal work. Josephson described recent operational strains — including overlapping court coverage and workload spikes — that, he said, risked delaying legislative initiatives and legal responses.
Legislators on Budget, Capital and Personnel and Government Operations committees supported the midyear request, noting that hiring an in-house attorney could reduce outsourcing costs and improve responsiveness. Legislator Shawna Black and others praised the office’s work and recommended moving forward to recruit promptly.
The resolution (ID 13285) passed unanimously; the county attorney’s office will begin the recruitment process and report back to the legislature on hiring timelines.
