Victim‑witness advocate says grant likely covers salary and fringe but not other costs; commissioners to review fines/fees as possible support

The victim‑witness advocate, operating under the county attorney's office, presented the program's two‑year grant estimate and a line‑by‑line budget. She said the grant award is approximately $196,734 for the two‑year cycle and that, based on current rules, the award is likely to reimburse salary and fringe benefits but not program travel, supplies or other incidental expenses.

"What we're going to be getting is $196,000 like $196,734 roughly," the Victim Witness Advocate said while outlining the grant total and noting the award period covered two fiscal years. She added that reimbursement rules often limit direct reimbursement to salary and fringe in the first instance, leaving supplies, travel and program expenses to other funding sources unless an amendment is approved.

Commissioners reviewed detailed line items (wages, employer contributions, printing, travel, training and other professional services) and noted that, as configured, the program could face an annual shortfall of about $10,000–$20,000 depending on which costs the grant will reimburse. They discussed the possibility of applying restitution or court fine allocations that historically had supported victim services; staff agreed to ask county finance and the state grant manager whether specific program costs could be moved or covered differently.

The advocate said she is pursuing additional grants and emphasized fiscal restraint in current operations, but asked the board to confirm whether certain court‑collected fines or a county budget amendment could cover unavoidable program costs if the grant will not reimburse them.