Dawes County attorneys warn of growing caseloads as legal-services budget faces cuts

Dawes County officials told commissioners on Sept. 9 that mounting caseloads and a proposed budget cut to legal services could strain the county’s ability to meet statutory duties.

At a meeting in Chadron, Deputy County Attorney Adam Edmund said he billed 455 hours for Dawes County in the last calendar year at $200 per hour and provided the Board a draft contract to formalize services. County Attorney Vance Haug described the workload he oversees, saying the office handles “300-500 criminal cases per year, 50-100 juvenile cases per year, [and] 300-500 child support cases a year,” and noting he also oversees mental-health hearings and serves as Dawes County coroner.

Commissioners discussed a proposed reduction in the county’s legal-services budget for 2025–26, and Commissioner Jake Stewart noted the currently budgeted funds would cover about 175 hours at $200 per hour. Chairman Vic Rivera asked for an accounting of hours going forward and raised concern that a Deputy could not represent the county in a recent case because of a conflict of interest.

Edmund agreed to provide quarterly reports of hours worked. No formal vote on staffing or budget adjustments occurred at the meeting; commissioners said they would weigh the contract, the requested accounting, and the county’s fiscal constraints before taking further action.

Why it matters: County attorneys handle criminal, juvenile and child-support dockets as well as statutory duties such as coroner responsibilities. Reducing contracted deputy hours could shift work to outside counsel or slow proceedings, potentially increasing outside legal costs or delaying cases.

The Board did not adopt changes to the 2025–26 legal-services budget at the Sept. 9 meeting; commissioners requested more documentation from the county attorneys and did not set a timetable for a final decision.