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Council debates expanding city prosecutors' court days and pay; members ask for caseload data
Summary
Law Director Tony Pacora presented a request that city prosecutors increase presence from 1.5 days to two full days, which would raise compensation; council members pressed for caseload and enforcement data and did not approve immediate action, asking for committee review and detailed figures.
Law Director Tony Pacora told the Vermilion City Council on Feb. 9 that a municipal judge requested prosecutors be present for two full court days instead of the prior one-and-a-half days. Pacora said that change would require adjusting compensation and that the law department and council must consider pay changes to retain experienced prosecutors.
Pacora provided summary revenue numbers for 2024, saying the city received about $179,389 from criminal-case revenues, $68,145 from Ohio State Highway Patrol fines and $47,382 from county fines (figures presented as annualized and attributed to 2024). He said those revenues help offset prosecutor compensation. Pacora described two long-serving city prosecutors and urged consideration of the judge's scheduling needs.
Several council members said they were not prepared to approve a pay increase immediately. Councilors asked for precise caseload statistics (how many enforcement cases were prosecuted last year, and how many resulted in trials) and for clarity about whether prior raises were tied to increased enforcement. One councilor stated the prior $10,000 raise in 2024 was intended for enforcement of property-code violations and asked staff to verify whether that enforcement occurred.
Council members also questioned the net budget effect after benefits and employer taxes and suggested reviewing whether municipalities that pay extra for jury trials or appeals incur higher costs. The law director acknowledged those concerns and agreed to provide more detailed breakdowns; several council members suggested the issue be vetted further in committee before any retroactive or emergency pay changes.
The council did not adopt an ordinance increasing prosecutor compensation at the Feb. 9 meeting and asked staff to return with caseload numbers and more precise fiscal calculations.
