6/8/26 Board of County Commissioners: FY27 Budget Elected Officials Part 2 of 2

The Kootenai County Board of Commissioners held a meeting on June 8, 2026, focusing on the FY27 budget requests from elected officials, particularly the Prosecuting Attorney's office. The Prosecutor presented several budget requests including the conversion of an existing victim witness coordinator position to a lead role, an additional law school intern position, and three new criminal attorney positions. A significant portion of the discussion centered on staffing challenges, high attorney turnover, and the need for a new attorney pay matrix to improve retention and recruitment. The Prosecutor emphasized that increasing salaries might be more effective than adding new positions, given the difficulty in filling vacancies and retaining experienced attorneys. The board expressed concerns about funding new positions that may remain unfilled and discussed the importance of addressing underlying issues such as workload and quality of life. The board agreed to convert one existing position but cut the three new attorney position requests, highlighting the need for further evaluation of salary adjustments and staffing strategies. There was also mention of exploring HR and consulting support to address workload and retention issues.