Budget committee approves law‑director budget amid wider debate over raises and school cuts

Jamie Brooks, the county law director, presented a revised fiscal‑year request that would be roughly $412,979 after adjustments and personnel considerations. Brooks said he cut one attorney position and proposed targeted raises for two staff members to retain experienced personnel.

The committee’s broader discussion covered competing requests from departments for recurring pay increases, the mayor’s memo proposing one‑time retention payments and inflationary increases for public safety and volunteer fire departments, and whether to rely on fund balance or seek new revenue. Several commissioners urged caution about recurring raises without a clear revenue source; others said targeted increases for critical positions could reduce future costs for outside legal services.

After extended debate on fiscal priorities and how to treat departmental requests relative to an earlier, countywide 3% raise, the committee approved the law director’s budget with the staff adjustments but declined to add an extra 3% across the law office lines beyond the countywide action. The law director said he was willing to forgo additional increases if the countywide raise was applied consistently but explained that his requested staff increases were intended to retain experienced personnel.

Committee members also discussed the mayor’s proposed budget compromises — including moving a portion of cable franchise receipts to school capital, funding an additional 12‑hour ambulance, and possible modifications to the volunteer fire and municipal mutual‑aid allocations — and agreed to continue those revenue and cross‑department discussions ahead of the Aug. 10 public hearing.