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Butte-Silver Bow County Attorney's office asks council to recognize higher duties, seek pay reclassifications
Summary
The County Attorney's Office presented staffing and compensation changes, saying the single combined city-county office now handles roughly 3,700 criminal court cases and seeks reclassifications and salary adjustments for senior deputies and two senior legal assistants to improve retention and match responsibilities.
Butte-Silver Bow ' The County Attorney's Office told the Council of Commissioners on July 1 that growing caseloads and combined city-and-county responsibilities justify reclassifying senior deputy attorneys and increasing pay for two long-serving legal assistants.
The presentation from the office, provided in slide materials, said the office handled more than 3,700 criminal court cases in the most recent year and prosecuted 405 felonies. It proposed reclassifying Mike Clague to Chief Criminal Deputy County Attorney, Sean Peterson to Chief Civil Deputy County Attorney, and raising compensation for Chief Deputy Ann Shea and two senior legal assistants, Pam LeProwse and Theresa Duffy. The materials said the requested adjustments are intended to address retention risks and recognize supervisory responsibilities rather than create new positions.
County Attorney office materials outlined specific compensation requests: a target salary for the Chief Deputy of about $137,686 (total with longevity and COLA $142,686), a requested salary for a Chief Criminal Deputy of roughly $125,332 (total $130,332 with increases), and $120,832 for the Chief Civil Deputy. The presentation said one deputy position is currently vacant and that the combined office does prosecution and civil work that separate city and county offices handle elsewhere.
Commissioner Dan Callahan asked about staff who had been promised raises; presenter Matt Enrooth said that raises were tied to a classification matrix requiring expanded job responsibilities and that "they did receive a higher raise than the 3%." The presentation materials stressed the office's use of specialty courts, such as DUI, veterans and mental-health treatment courts, and argued that compensating leadership roles appropriately would save long-term costs by reducing turnover and recruitment expenses.
The presentation concluded with two options: approve the requested reclassifications and salary adjustments, or expand staffing by authorizing several additional deputy county attorneys and legal assistants if wage-study limitations prevent pay adjustments. No formal council vote on the reclassification package was recorded at the July 1 meeting; the materials were scheduled for council consideration and further committee review.
