The Grant County prosecutor told the county council on Aug. 28 that felony case filings have risen substantially over the past decade and that the prosecutor’s office and public defender’s office are under-staffed, affecting case processing and contributing to jail overcrowding.

The prosecutor said the office is on pace for roughly 1,558 filings this year — a figure he described as roughly a 60% increase over 10 years — and that staffing has not kept pace. He urged the council to approve new deputy prosecutor positions and to increase salaries to be competitive with neighboring counties. Specifically, the prosecutor requested two deputy positions with salary targets around $105,000 each and also proposed 5% raises for existing staff and higher pay for case processors (to $42,500), explaining this would reduce turnover and preserve trial capacity.

The prosecutor framed the request as a workforce and retention issue: other counties are recruiting away experienced attorneys by offering higher pay and lighter caseloads, he said, and without comparable compensation Grand County risks losing staff and the institutional knowledge needed for serious cases. He added that even with a ninth prosecutor the office would still face a higher case-per-attorney average than a decade ago, underscoring the scale of the workload.

Council members asked detailed follow-up questions about whether higher pay alone would attract experienced candidates and whether part-time or contract hires could provide a cost-effective alternative. The prosecutor responded that while entry-level hires could be recruited at lower salaries, seasoned trial attorneys typically command higher pay; he also highlighted non-monetary advantages of working in Grant County (trial experience, lower cost of living, supportive colleagues) but said salary remains a central factor.

Despite the length of the staffing discussion, the council limited formal action that night to non-salary budget categories. The council did approve prosecutor fund categories 2, 3 and 4 (with a publications line adjusted to $2,100) but did not approve the prosecutor’s proposed salary and new-position requests during this session.

Key quotes from the transcript:
• "We are both drowning in cases." — Prosecutor describing the combined pressure on prosecutors and public defenders.
• "If the numbers continue at the rate they are going, to have 1,558 cases filed... That's a 60% increase in the felony filings in 10 years." — Prosecutor summarizing caseload growth.

What happens next: Personnel requests for deputy prosecutor positions and salary adjustments were earmarked for later personnel deliberations in the total budget process. The prosecutor said he will pursue both local budget authority and possible state reimbursement options being discussed in the legislature that could offset deputy salaries for qualifying counties.

Provenance: Presentation and debate recorded in transcript from SEG 906 through SEG 1578; approval of prosecutor non-salary categories recorded at SEG 1550–1578.