Prosecutor wins transfer to backfill staff for upcoming capital case; council approves rainy-day allocation

The council approved a transfer from the county's rainy-day fund to the prosecutor's capital-case account after Andrew Hanna, chief deputy prosecutor, told the council the office will need an additional prosecutor on a limited contract to backfill staff ahead of a capital trial set for January.

Hanna said the county's office has 21.8 full-time-equivalent prosecutors compared with an 36.0 need identified in a statewide staffing analysis; the capital case will require deputies assigned to the case to be removed from other caseloads. The request was for a temporary hire to cover seven months in 2025 and three months in 2026 to maintain overall prosecutorial capacity during trial preparation and the trial itself.

Councilors approved the transfer by roll call after Hanna said the funds sought are already appropriated within rainy-day lines and that, under current spending projections, no additional appropriation should be needed for the remainder of the year.

The council did not specify the name of the hire and emphasized that the position is limited-term and tied to case needs; Hanna said he would return if circumstances changed.