Prosecuting Attorney Paul on July 21 told commissioners his office is seeing recruitment pressure and asked for salaries increases for key staff — notably for his chief criminal deputy, who has received outside offers. Paul submitted comparative wage information showing competing jurisdictions offering higher pay and presented staff certifications to justify retention pay.

Finance staff and commissioners said they support competitive pay but noted the county budget is constrained by a 3% overall cap on increases. County staff reported a countywide salary increase cost in the low‑hundreds of thousands; including benefits, commissioners estimated the full cost could be higher. To accommodate the prosecutor’s recommended increases, commissioners and the prosecutor discussed reducing non‑salary lines; they agreed to temporarily reduce the prosecutor’s litigation expense line from a higher provisional number down to $20,000 as a partial offset, and to continue reviewing other departmental lines and potential savings.

Commissioners asked the prosecutor to prioritize positions for retention, and staff to return with a revised budget that shows the proposed salary adjustments with proposed offsets. The board flagged benefits and long‑term recurring costs as items that will affect future budgets and asked for continued dialogue before final appropriation.