Prosecutor Herron seeks funds for hiring

Commissioners have yet to finalize the 2003 spending plan.
By NORMAN LEIGH
VINDICATOR SALEM BUREAU
LISBON -- Columbiana County Prosecutor Robert Herron says he hopes 2003 will bring him enough funds to fill key staff vacancies and give raises.
Herron said recently that his 2003 budget request of $940,732 includes money for those options.
He's waiting now for a decision on his proposal from county commissioners, who are busy crafting the 2003 budget.
Commissioner President Jim Hoppel said it's unclear if Herron will get his request.
Hoppel noted that commissioners are still putting the finishing touches on a first-quarter 2003 budget, which they expect to adopt Tuesday.
A final, full-year budget probably won't be adopted until later in the year, Hoppel said.
Herron said he wants to fill two posts. One is that of assistant prosecutor left vacant in 2001 when Atty. Jim Hartford resigned to go into private practice.
The other is for an investigator's position emptied in 2001, when investigator Pete Whitmore left the prosecutor's office to become chief deputy at the sheriff's department.
Herron didn't fill the positions at the time because the county was in the midst of a financial crisis resulting from revenue's being outpaced by bills and other expenses.
Improvement
The county's financial condition is improving, due partly to better-than-anticipated revenue from its 1 percent sales tax and the imposition in June of a 0.5 percent sales tax increase, bringing the county sales tax total to 1.5 percent.
Herron said his office's operation is hampered by not having the posts filled.
The assistant prosecutor's job, which is part time, pays $30,000 annually. The investigator's job is full time and pays $40,000 annually.
Herron's 2003 funding request also includes a 3 percent pay increase next year for his 18-member staff.
Herron said he was uncertain how much the 3 percent raises, if granted, will cost the county.
The pay boosts would be applied to a wage scale that has a high salary of $60,000 annually for a full-time chief assistant prosecutor and a low salary of $21,000 for a secretary.
The prosecutor's $101,000 annual salary, which is set by the state, would not be among those receiving the 3 percent increase.
Herron noted, however, that his salary, which is paid by the county, is expected to increase to $102,000 in 2003, which is about 1 percent.