County attorney outlines staffing and budget shifts after outside firm ends assistant contract

The county attorney told the board that the Anderson Law Firm, which had provided assistant attorney services under a contract, ceased providing that help effective Aug. 1, leaving the county to absorb juvenile and magistrate caseloads previously handled by the firm.

The attorney summarized the history: Anderson provided services billed at $3,500 per month and the county paid roughly $43,416 to the firm last fiscal year. He said the county will reallocate work between his office and an existing staff member named Michelle, rely more on remote hearings and technology, and explore short‑term backup arrangements with neighboring counties if needed.

He explained the office’s four primary functions—civil work, district court, magistrate work and juvenile court—and said he will retain the civil and district court duties while absorbing some of the others. The attorney said the budget line for “special attorney fees” previously covered trial and extraordinary expenses and that benefits and payroll compose most of the office costs.

To manage workloads, the attorney proposed shifting some administrative duties to Michelle and said he may return with numbers to request a midyear pay adjustment for her. He also flagged recruitment challenges across Iowa for assistant county attorneys and said part‑time alternatives, technology gains and shared services could be considered.

Board members thanked the attorney for the briefing and asked staff to bring additional budget figures if a midyear adjustment is to be considered. No formal action was taken beyond directing staff to provide follow‑up numbers.