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Whitley County judges seek higher pay for pro tems and conflict public defenders, request interpreter budget
Summary
Judicial leaders told the council they need small increases to pro tem and conflict public‑defender pay and a new interpreter account to cover rising demand and a shortage of attorneys, and the prosecutor urged a pay adjustment for a deputy position to match a compensation review.
Whitley County judicial leaders asked the county council to approve modest increases in court personnel spending as part of the 2027 budget discussions, saying small changes are needed to maintain services.
Judge Renschow asked the council to raise the pro tem judge account, noting that pro tems are paid only when they work. “When we have pro tem judges, we pay them $25 a day,” he said, pointing out the long hours pro tems sometimes cover. He said usage of pro tem judges has risen since a senior judge retired and that the account should be increased to ensure coverage when conflicts or child‑support dockets require it.
Renschow also supported increasing pay for conflict public defenders, who are paid hourly when contract defenders cannot take a case. He said local rates have lagged market practice and urged moving the conflict rate toward $100 an hour to improve recruitment. “There is a lawyer shortage,” he said, adding that some local private attorneys bill substantially more than current county reimbursement rates.
The judge asked the council to create a dedicated interpreter line after one recent multi‑day trial required a costly out‑of‑area Russian interpreter. He recommended a modest annual amount — roughly $1,000 — to avoid charging sporadic language needs to other accounts.
Prosecutor DJ asked the council to consider a classification‑based salary increase for the deputy prosecutor who handles child‑support and juvenile matters, citing a workplace classification study. DJ said the office had used fee‑funds and federal reimbursements to offset personnel costs historically and estimated the county cost to raise that deputy into the recommended range at roughly $16,000 annually. He emphasized that fee and grant revenues must be used in compliance with statute.
Why it matters: The requests are small relative to the county’s total budget but are aimed at preventing service interruptions (court coverage, indigent defense and language access) that officials say would otherwise fall back onto taxpayers or the county’s staff.
The council did not take action at the hearing. Officials said they may ask for additional appropriations later if contract figures arrive higher than projected or if unforeseen trial needs materialize; the budget process will continue with further review and a public hearing before final adoption.
