Shortage likely, prosecutor’s office says

Offender roundups are a response to a growing
criminal caseload.

By D.A. WILKINSON

VINDICATOR SALEM BUREAU

LISBON — Columbiana County Prosecutor Robert Herron says his office would be out of money by September.

The prosecutor said Tuesday he would need about $350,000 to complete the year. The money would cover salary and benefits for his staff.

Herron, who has been trying to raise awareness about the growth of drug-related crimes in the county, said that his office’s caseload had slowed down at the end of 2007.

But the slowdown, the prosecutor said, “didn’t last. The caseload is increasing.”

The county commissioners said they are considering his request.

“We’re still looking at budgets,” said Commissioner Penny Traina.

The additional funding to Herron’s office could take half of the county’s official carryover into 2008.

The budget commission voted Feb. 4 to certify the carryover funds at $700,000.

Herron, who is a member of the budget commission, and Nick Barborak, the county treasurer, voted to certify the $700,000.

Auditor Nancy Milliken voted against the move in order to have larger reserves in case the economy goes into a recession and county revenue drops. By law, the county can’t overspend. The county still has an additional $281,000 in reserves.

The budget commission certifies county revenue. The commissioners set the budgets for the county offices.

In the budget hearings for 2008, Herron asked commissioners for a total of $1.7 million. His office had received $1.2 million in 2007. His office received $1.3 million for this year.

Herron’s budget problem came to light after the county sheriff’s office, the county’s Special Response Team, and the U.S. Marshal’s Office arrested 14 people starting last Friday. The sheriff’s office has begun making such sweeps to keep up with the caseload.

Allen Haueter, the chief deputy for the sheriff’s office, said such roundups are now routine.

Patrol or road deputies can’t serve all the grand jury indictments because there are now so many of them.

The number of indictments “keep getting bigger and bigger,” he added.

Haueter said that he and other law enforcement officers work one day a week with a fugitive task force in Youngstown. The task force officers, in turn, help when Columbiana County has a roundup. That allows authorities to arrest a number of people in one day.

wilkinson@vindy.com