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Legislature approves midyear position: assistant county attorney to be hired from contingency
Summary
The Tompkins County Legislature approved a midyear appropriation to create an assistant county attorney position after the county attorney described workload strain and lack of swing capacity; the measure passed unanimously and will be funded from contingency.
The legislature unanimously approved Resolution H to appropriate contingency funds and create an assistant county attorney position in the county attorney's office. County Attorney Maury Josephson described sustained high workloads, limited attorney staffing (noting two attorneys and two paralegals currently) and examples where lack of backup delayed legislative initiatives. Josephson said the additional attorney would provide research, factual development and timely legal support for county business.
Supporters including Chair and committee members said hiring in midyear is justified to avoid ongoing costs of outsourcing legal work and to ensure timely responsiveness to litigation and operational matters. Shauna Black noted the county had previously paid $200—$250 per hour for outside counsel when internal capacity was lacking and suggested adding in-house capacity could save money. The resolution was moved by the Budget, Capital and Personnel Committee and seconded in the meeting; members voted unanimously to approve the midyear appropriation.
