Natrona County leaders scramble to cover legal work after county attorney staff shrinks to one

Commissioners and county officials said on May 6 that Natrona Countyis operating with a reduced legal staff after the county attorneyoffice shrank from five attorneys to one, and the shortfall is creating daily capacity problems for multiple elected offices.

At the commissionersmeeting, officials said the county is interviewing two candidates for the county attorney role and will consider short-term options, including contracting outside counsel for specific needs. "We can work with counsel and do what we can, make sure that you're not deficient in what your needs are, whether that means that we have to look at outside assistance for a short amount of time while we're trying to get restaffed," one commissioner said.

Sheriff (name not specified) told the commission that daily operational decisions require quick legal advice and said the office is contracting a lawyer to handle involuntary commitment prosecutions under Title 25. "We do have somebody on the stake in over the Title 25, so that will alleviate a lot of that time constraint," the sheriff said. He also offered to bring a staff attorney into the sheriff's office budget to provide day-to-day law-enforcement expertise and to reduce pressure on the county attorney's office.

Clerk of district court (name not specified) and other court staff described numerous on-the-ground legal questions that need fast turnaround, including access-to-records questions and case-management issues tied to recent rule and software changes. "We have many legal issues that must be answered on the daily. They have to have fast turnaround," the clerk said.

Commissioner Laird said she has spoken with private law firms that might provide interim representation, but she had not discussed terms with other commissioners. "We have in the past hired attorneys from outside the county attorney's office," she said, adding that she has no cost estimates yet.

Adam (County Attorney) later updated the board that two contracts were being pulled from the agenda to correct contract language, and that the Title 25 coverage is transitioning to the new contract attorney who started transitioning into that role the prior Monday. He also said that other road- and land-related legal matters and pending cases are being handled but that additional contracts and staff work remain in progress.

Discussion vs. decisions: Commissioners did not adopt a formal policy during the public meeting; they agreed to continue the search for a county attorney, to explore interim outside counsel for urgent matters and to gather written budget and staffing options for follow-up, including before upcoming budget hearings. Several commissioners emphasized urgency and asked staff to provide written options and timelines.

The record shows elected officials pressing for faster staffing solutions and short-term contracting, while also noting statutory constraints and the need for careful procurement and budget review. No final vote or formal contract award was taken at the May 6 meeting.