Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Prosecutor Staffing topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Prosecutor’s office asks Mason County to fund temporary appellate hire amid retirement
Summary
Prosecutor’s office requested roughly $60,000 to fund a temporary appellate-level deputy and allow overlap training with a retiring appellate prosecutor to maintain appellate caseload continuity; commissioners asked staff to prepare a position and agenda item for later approval.
Mike Dorsey, speaking for the prosecutor’s office, asked Mason County commissioners on June 22 to authorize roughly $60,000 to fund a temporary appellate-level deputy so a new hire can overlap with a retiring appellate deputy and receive training. "Our ask is to the tune of about 60,000 to fund...to bring somebody in as early as September to try to do some overlap training," Dorsey said.
The request is intended to ensure continuity on the county’s criminal appeal caseload after a senior deputy who has handled appeals since about 2011 retires later this year. Prosecutor Tim Whitehead and staff described the position as specialized and said the office has received only limited applicant interest from general advertisements; they suggested targeted recruitment for applicants with appellate experience.
Commissioners expressed support for a succession plan that allows overlap training. One commissioner said, "we'll either pay for it now or we'll pay for it later," arguing that training overlap reduces long-term costs if staff must relearn systems. Staff said they will work with the clerk and administrator to draft a position and route any budget amendment through the usual agenda process.
The prosecutor’s office said it will use the upcoming prosecutor conference and appellate committees as an opportunity to recruit; commissioners asked staff to return a formal agenda request that creates the temporary position beginning in September and running through the end of the year.
