Allegany County panel approves three state-funded defender office positions amid timing concerns

The Allegany County Personnel Committee on March 5 approved requests to create and fill three full-time positions for the county's public defender and conflict defender offices, committee members said.

Committee members said the positions are 100% state-funded and tied to a time-limited grant; one committee member said she would vote no because she had not seen the request in her packet in time to ask questions.

Public Defender JR Santana Carter requested permission to create and fill a full-time junior accountant position with an estimated salary of $40,000–$48,000 and benefits of $16,000–$19,000, the committee was told. The request was moved by Mister Havey and seconded by Mister Ricky. During discussion, a committee member identified as Jan said, "I didn't see it in my packet and I in honor of Jan, I'm gonna vote no on this just because I woulda had a question I could've asked the guys when they were here." The motion then received affirmative votes and was approved, with Jan recorded in the meeting as voting no.

The public defender also requested permission to create and fill one full-time legal services case manager position with an estimated salary of $101,000 and benefits of $18,000–$23,000. That motion was moved by Mister Havey and seconded by Ruth Osaka; the committee approved the request by voice vote.

Conflict Defender Peter Deggeman requested permission to create and fill one full-time legal services case manager position with an estimated salary reported as $45,000–$56,000 and benefits of $18,000–$23,000. That motion was moved by Mister Havey and seconded as recorded in the minutes; committee members approved the request by voice vote. During discussion a committee member reiterated remarks from a prior public safety meeting, saying, "These positions, if ever that funding disappears, these positions also will disappear." That comment was recorded in the minutes as coming from Jan.

Committee discussion noted timing and process concerns. A staff member said the requests were being advanced now because waiting until the next personnel meeting would delay resolution until April and slow hiring. The staff member also said the underlying grant is a three-year award that provides $250,000 per year, began in 2024, and that county staff are seeking an extension so the 2024 allocation can be spent and the grant possibly extended through 2027. The staff member said the grant did not receive approval until this year.

The committee approved the items to move forward; the requests were described as proceeding to the next Ways and Means meeting for resolution and budget approval. Meeting minutes show the committee handled the three requests in sequence and concluded with a motion to adjourn.