Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Personnel Compensation topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Public defender, district attorney urge pay‑scale reclassification to keep experienced lawyers
Summary
County public defender and district attorney officials told the Public Safety Committee that recent salary study changes helped entry‑level attorneys but failed to resolve recruitment and retention for experienced lateral hires; they proposed reclassifying select Grade 9 and Grade 10 positions to create a clearer career ladder and expect a draft resolution.
Andy Correia, the county public defender, told the Public Safety Committee that while the recent salary study improved entry‑level pay, it did not solve long‑standing recruitment and retention problems for experienced lateral hires. He proposed moving one Grade 9 position in each of the District Attorney and Public Defender offices to Grade 10, and one Grade 10 position to Grade 11, asserting the change would create "senior assistants" roles that support career progression without adding new positions.
District Attorney Christine Callanan agreed the study benefited entry‑level attorneys but did not address senior lateral hiring challenges. Correia characterized the plan as a moderate adjustment that would not create additional headcount but reclassify existing positions to better reflect responsibilities. Interim County Administrator Mark Humbert said the board is still evaluating requests stemming from the salary study and additional information will be forthcoming; Correia indicated a draft resolution is likely to be presented to the committee.
