A county official asked commissioners during a work session to consider amending the published 2026 budget for his office to restore a requested salary increase intended to keep the assistant county attorney position competitive in a statewide rural market.

The presenter said the budget published for his office lists $470,284 (multiple document versions were discussed) while his requested total for 2026 was $487,164 — about $17,000 more. The requested increase, he said, was aimed primarily at raising the maximum salary for the assistant county attorney position so the county can recruit and retain qualified prosecutors in a region experiencing a rural legal staffing shortage.

Why it matters: Prosecutor offices in smaller counties reported wide market variation in salary ranges, and the presenter said some neighboring counties are offering materially higher top salaries. He told the commission that, without added pay flexibility, the office could face immediate recruitment challenges and risk losing its current full-time assistant.

What was discussed and clarified: The presenter walked commissioners through comparisons to neighboring counties’ salary ranges that were provided in the meeting. He also noted that some local revenue sources (diversion and forfeiture funds) are not allowable for salaries under current constraints. Commissioners and staff reviewed several versions of the budget adviser’s paperwork and confirmed differing published numbers; they did not take a vote on an amendment because the session was unofficial.

Next steps: Commissioners took the request under advisement and said they would follow up in their normal budget process; no formal amendment or vote occurred in the work session.

Speakers (attributed quotes come from these persons):
- Mr. Cruz — government (presenter referencing his office budget)
- Chair — government
- Clerk — government

Authorities: []

Actions: []

Provenance: [{"block_id":"block_00:03:19","local_start":0,"local_end":140,"evidence_excerpt":"...my budget for 2026 is listed at $472.84... the requested budget we had was 487,164 the current budget that has been published is 470,284","tc_start":"00:03:19","tc_end":"00:05:00","reason_code":"topicintro"},{"block_id":"block_00:12:42","local_start":0,"local_end":120,"evidence_excerpt":"County attorney's office. For 2025, the budget was 471,880. '26... was $477,164... Down 10 off of their recommendation","tc_start":"00:12:42","tc_end":"00:12:42","reason_code":"topicfinish"}]

Topics:[{"name":"county_budget","justification":"Request to amend the published 2026 county attorney budget and salary schedule affects county spending and human-resources strategy.","scoring":{"topic_relevance":1.00,"depth_score":0.70,"opinionatedness":0.05,"controversy":0.40,"civic_salience":0.75,"impactfulness":0.65,"geo_relevance":1.00}}]