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Home My WebLink Aboutord1996-024FMATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL AGENDA BILL NO. 96-201 CLEARANCES Initial Date Date Received in Council Office: Agenda date Assigned to: Introduction Finance /Council - Idginator: Executive .AvisionHead: 5/21/96 W WWATCOM COUNTY. COUNCIL /96 /11 Dept. Head: Prosecutor: Purchasing/Budget: Executive: S' 1 SUBJECT: 1996 Supplemental Budget Request #4 ATTACHMENTS: Ordinance Background documentation Position Control Amendment SUMMARY STATEMENT: Please complete sections of box as appropriate & explain the item below. Related County contract #: I Should Clerk schedule a hearing? NO /X_/ YES /_/ Requested date: II Supplemental Budget Ordinance No. 4 adds appropriation to the following budgets: Trent Expense: _.Le supplemental request for the Current Expense Fund, Prosecuting Attorney, appropriates $50,738 from Current Expense fund balance, to hire professional staff to provide temporary and long -term assistance to the attorneys in the felony division, in light of increasing caseloads that include greater numbers of serious violent offense and aggravated murder cases presently pending trial. This request includes funding for an additional full -time position: "Sexual Assault Specialist" to commence on June 1. Funding for this position is contingent upon and tied directly to availability of funds from the Victim Witness Fund. Other Funds: The supplemental request for the Victim Witness Fund appropriates $25,030 from fund balance, to transfer to Current Expense to provide funding for above expenditure. ORIGINATOR'S RECOMMENDED ACTION. Pass COMMITTEE ACTION TAKEN. COUNCIL ACTION TAKEN. C 1996-201 5/213/96: Introduced 6/11/96: Adopted 5-1, Imhof opposed Ordinance Number 96- _� 024 tion Number ( this item only) : &C( .9 t —a-'N SPONSORED BY: Consent PROPOSED BY: Executive INTRODUCTION DATE: 5128196 ORDINANCE NO. 96 -024 AMENDMENT NO.4 TO THE 1996 BUDGET WHEREAS, the 1996 budget was adopted November 28, 1995; and, WHEREAS, changing circumstances require modifications to the approved 1996 budget; and, WHEREAS, those modifications have been assembled here for deliberation by the Whatcom County Council. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED by the Whatcom County Council that the 1996 Whatcom County budget ordinance 95 -065 is hereby amended by adding the following amounts to the funds included therein: Current Expense Fund: Prosecuting Attorney $50,738 Total Current Expense $50,738 Other Funds: Victim Witness Fund $25,030 Total Other Funds $25,030 Total Supplemental $75.768 ADOPTED this 11 day of June , 1996. ATTEST: Dana Brown - Davis, Council Clerk APPROVED AS TO FORM: L,j� t� h�� Civil Deputy Prosecutor WHATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL WHATCOM CO Y; WAS ETON �L. Ward Nelson, Chair l d ODenied fete Kremen, Executive Date. Page 1 WHATCOM COUNTY Summary of the Supplemental Budget Ordinance No. 4 Department/Fund [Description Amount Source of Funds Current Expense: Prosecuting Hire temporary help; Hire $17,958 Current Expense - fund Attorney Sexual Assault Specialist balance commencing June 1 $25,030 Operating Transfer In, from Victim Witness Fund - fund balance (see below). $7,750 Operating Transfer In, also from Victim Witness Fund Total Current Expense $50,738 Other Funds: Victim Witness Operating Transfer out- to $25,030 Victim Witness Fund Fund Current Expense, Prosecutor's Balance above Total Other Funds $25,030 TOTAL SUPPLEMENTAL $75.768 Page 2 WHATCOM COUNTY BUDGET MODIFICATION REQUEST Department: Prosecuting Attorney Requested By: Kathy Walker The following budget modification is requested: X Budget Transfer * X Budget Supplemental ** SOURCE: (Accounts to transfer from or funding source for supplemental) * 2600.6630.093 Professional Service /Sexual Assault $ 8,000.00 2600.8301.14200 Operating Transfer/ Vitim Witness $ 32,780.00 001.2910.1000 Fund Balance / Current Expense $ 17,958.00 $ 58,738.00 ACCOUNTS TO INCREASE: 2600.6110 Salaries $ 32,256.00 2600.6120 Extra Help $ 15,968.00 2600.6210 Retirement $ 2,558.00 2600.6230 Social Security $ 3,690.00 2600.6245 Medical $ 1,820.00 2600.6255 Other Health $ 1,372.00 2600.6269 Worker's Comp $ 333.00 2600.6269 Unemployment $ 241.00 2600.6510 Small Tools $ 500.00 $ 58,738.00 Please see attached explan Authorized By: Depa Date: 4 Executive's Office: N- Date: Date Posted: By: Transfers affecting salaries and benefits or capital accounts must be authorized by the County Executive. Transfers affecting other objects do not need Executive office approval. Supplemental requests, if approved by the Executive, will be forwarded to the County Council for Authorization. kf- c: /misc/forms /bud mod WHATCOM COUNTY BUDGET MODIFICATION REQUEST Department: Prosecuting Attorney Requested By: Kathy Walker The following budget modification is requested: Budget Transfer * X Budget Supplemental ** SOURCE: (Accounts to transfer from or funding source for supplemental) 142.2910.1000 Victim Witness Fund Balance $ 25,030.00 ACCOUNTS TO INCREASE: 14200.8351.2600 Operating Transfer Out Please see attache..d' Plana on. Authorized By: ,- Departmehif -Head: Executive's Office: Date Posted: $ 25,030.00 r Date: 5 _ 16 Date: 0 * Transfers affecting salaries and benefits or capital accounts must be authorized by the County Executive. Transfers affecting other objects do not need Executive office approval. ** Supplemental requests, if approved by the Executive, will be forwarded to the County Council for Authorization. kf- c1misc /forms /bud mod WHATCOM COUNTY PROSECUTING ATTORNEY DAVID S. MCEACHR.AN Courthouse, 311 Grand Avenue Bellingham, Washington 98225 -4079 (206) 676 -6784 Detail is provided below to support the information contained in the Budget Modification Request Form. The primary motivator for seeking additional appro- priation authority is the excessive caseloads per attorney within the department; specifically the felony division caseloads which are presently comprised of an increased number of serious violent offense and aggravated murder cases. The serious nature and the increased number of these type of cases is significantly impacting this department's ability to provide consistently effective prosecution. In order to better serve the citizens of whatcom County and the interests of the State, it is essential that increased assistance be provided to the prosecutors assigned to the felony division of the office. Since the supplemental is being sought to provide assistance on a short term basis (three to four months), it was, therefore, essential that the components of the request maximize utilization of senior staff expertise and be ready for implementation upon approval of funding. Toward these ends funding for the following positions is being sought: (a) Rule 9 Attorney to be assigned to District Court Three months at - $1,600 per month. (b) Rule 9 Attorney to be assigned to the Appellate Attorney - Six months at Range 18/E part -time at $1,342 per month. (c) Secretary II to provide general clerical support to the legal secretaries assigned to the felony division for four months part -time at $779 per month. (d) To hire the Sexual Assault Specialist as a regular full time employee commencing June 1 at a salary of $4,608 per month. The Rule 9 assigned to District Court will allow for the assignment of a Senior Deputy to the felony division for three months. Presently, there are two applicants available to fill this position in May should funding be approved. The Rule 9 Attorney to be assigned to the Appellate Attorney will allow for assignment of a seasoned attorney, on a part -time basis, to the felony division. Making the Sexual Assault Specialist full -time will allow felony attorneys to shift more victim assessments and Page 2 interviews off their schedules, thereby, decreasing some of their workload. Attached, as support for this request, is appendix A which should be reviewed to understand department's caseloads. 1988 -1995 CASE COUNT STATISTICS WHATCOM COUNTY PROSECUTING ATTORNEY Year Felony Felony Dist Prob. Ct. 1988 560 109 3410 1989 698 305 4297 1990 751 375 4137 1991 986 334 3645 1992 1135 320 3849 1993 972 503 4147 1994 1007 330 4417 1995* 1011 560 4747 Juvie Juvie Alcohol Ct . Diver - Commits sion 459 1013 NA 598 729 11 734 850 19 911 867 33 914 773 18 927 1035 19 1013 1045 29 977 923 28 Appeals Total % Avg. # Filings Cases/ Att /Yr 48 5599 17% 8 @ 699 33 6671 16% 8 @ 834 34 6900 3% 9 @ 767 31 6807 -1% 10 @ 680 58 7067 3.8% 11 @ 642 104 7707 9.8% 11 @ 700 77 7918 4.8% 11 @ 712 82 8117 2.3% 11 @ 734 1. Felony category includes Mental Health Commitment Case Filings and Body Release Orders. YR. Crim. Felony Mentals Body Orders 1993 878 75 18 1994 934 66 7 -1995 895 113 3 2. Felony Probation Violations represent counts filed. 3. Misdemeanor numbers do not include cases disposed of at arraignment. 4. Appeals reflect both Superior, District Court cases and as of 1993 Juvenile Court cases. 5. Prior to 1993, count under Juvenile Diversion represented # of cases sent to Diversion. 1993 forward, count represents # of defendants sent to Diversion. 6. Speculate that reduced caseload in 1991 and 1993 attributable to subzero temperatures in Jan/Feb . as have isolated decrease in cases filed to these 2 months. 7. Annual percentage increases are deceptive. It must be understood that 1995 total filings reflect a 45% increase over 1988 total filings. 8. 1995 lower diversion rate result of statutory change modifying eligibility criteria for case to be diverted. * 1995 figures are unaudited actuals with the exception of Superior Court. ATTACHMENT A To ordinance titled: Amendment No. 4 to the 1996 Budget The 1996 budget ordinance 95 -065, exhibit C, is amended to reflect the additional authorized positions as set forth in the column "Supp'I #96-4" below: PROSECUTING ATTORNEY Supp'I Amended 1996 # 96 -4 1996 Victim Witness: Sexual Assault Specialist 0.0 *1.00 *1.00 Prosecuting Atty TOTAL 38.50 *1.00 39.50 This position is contingent upon and directly tied to available funding from the Victim Witness fund. ATTACHMENT A