County attorney seeks budget flexibility to add assistant; board declines midyear budget allocation

County Attorney Scott asked supervisors to include funding in the FY27 budget for an additional assistant county attorney so he could act quickly if a well‑qualified candidate becomes available. Scott said the hire is not guaranteed and that his office will not advertise for an unspecified candidate, but he wanted budget authority to avoid losing an exceptional prospect.

"I need the right person, and if that right person comes along, I want to be able to act on that," Scott said, explaining why he preferred the funding appear in the budget rather than rely on midyear approval.

Supervisors debated the tradeoff between keeping the budget lean and reserving flexibility to add personnel. Chair Harley and several supervisors said they would prefer to fund the position if an actual candidate and business case arise, rather than allocate the full annual cost in the baseline FY27 budget. Supervisor Anne raised concerns about the initial project description and asked staff to ensure any future request be fully documented.

The board reached consensus not to include the position in the FY27 adopted budget but to consider a midyear request with supporting documentation if Scott locates a candidate. Supervisors noted the practicalities of hiring and payroll timing and said they would act if the need is demonstrated.