County seeking fairer funding method for prosecutor, defender offices

County seeking fairer funding method for prosecutor, defender offices

Officials want balance on both sides of the courtroom

news@theeveningtimes.com

Crittenden County is looking at ways to equalize funding to the county prosecutor and public defender’s office.

Justice Vickie Robertson asked County Treasurer Charlie Suiter to look at possibly giving an equal amount of funding from the administration of justice fund to the two offices.

Currently, the public defender’s office receives $160,000 a year from the fund. The prosecuting attorney’s office receives $165,000.

“This comes up every time we do the budget,” Robertson says. “So what we were looking at was to give each of them $160,000 or $165,000 and give them equal distribution of those funds.”

But according to Suiter, even if the county did that, one office would still end up with more revenue because the percentages which are allocated from the different courts are not the same.

West Memphis gives the prosecuting attorney 11 percent of its fees and 13 percent to the public defender. Marion gives the public defender 11 percent and the prosecuting attorney seven percent.

“To get them to come out the same would be virtually impossible because they are funded from so many different sources that aren’t the same,” Suiter said.

“The only way to do that would be at the end of the year when we see the discrepancy to transfer money or carry it over to the next year.”

Robertson suggested another way would be to make the percentages each office receives equal — each would get 12 percent.

“We’re saying give each 12 percent,” Robertson said. “But only those two.

And that way it is equal.”

Suiter said changing the percentages — which the county sets — would also negatively impact other departments such as the Sheriff’s Office and the Circuit Clerk’s office.

“You say well, change the percentages to get them equal. But you can’t. You would have to restructure the whole court system,” Suiter said. “When you take away from one, you take away from multiple.”

Robertson argued that the Quorum Court just wants to make the dollar amounts the same from the allocation of the administration of justice funds.

“That’s where it comes up every year,” Robertson said. “We should at least make that distribution the same. If we start off and say we are going to give each of them $160,000 and if at the end of the year we get more than projected, then we can go back and give them each an additional $5,000 and you’re still keeping it even.”

County Judge Woody Wheels suggested taking a look at the revenue for each office in the fourth quarter and then decide whether they want to transfer money.

“Then, based on nine months of data, we should have a better idea where we will end up,” Wheeless said.

Suiter agrees.

“I like what the judge says,” Suiter said. “At the beginning of the fourth quarter I should be able to tell you to within a couple of percentage points of what it should be. And if we have to transfer, we can make that adjustment. I think we can correct it that way.”

By Mark Randall