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Routt County district attorney seeks housing funds to recruit prosecutors, flags digital evidence costs
Summary
District Attorney Matt Carson said the 2026 budget aims to preserve core services while repurposing one vacant attorney FTE into a housing/recruitment line to attract and retain prosecutors; he also requested funding for Evidence.com to manage body‑worn camera footage and for laptop upgrades.
District Attorney Matt Carson told Routt County commissioners the 2026 budget request includes a proposal to reallocate money from an unfilled attorney position to a housing/recruitment line item aimed at improving recruitment and retention across the judicial district.
Carson said recruiting qualified prosecutors has become difficult in recent years and that housing assistance — rather than salary alone — can be a decisive factor for candidates who otherwise would not relocate to rural mountain counties. He said his office has two conditional offers to candidates that hinge on housing solutions and that a modest housing program could make those hires possible.
Carson also highlighted new costs tied to managing digital evidence. He asked for funding to support Evidence.com, the Axon‑hosted platform many local departments use to store and share body‑worn camera footage. "We now have an obligation to receive, properly store, and manage...body cam footage," Carson said, stressing the operational need to avoid evidence slipping through procedural timelines and to provide attorneys efficient access to footage.
Other items Carson called out were computer replacements deferred in 2025 to cover storage needs and a targeted cost‑of‑living adjustment for staff. He said alternate state funding was secured to preserve an adult diversion program that otherwise risked suspension.
Carson said the state will phase in a funded assistant district attorney position; for 2026, counties will still carry some costs while state contributions ramp up mid‑year. He estimated district‑wide budget needs would fall modestly as outside funding came through and asked commissioners to consider the housing reuse idea as a practical recruitment tool.
Next steps: commissioners discussed the mechanics of county‑owned housing and asked staff to explore options (including existing housing projects and partnerships); the DA agreed to work with county administration on possible models and return with details.
