With an overload of cases and several distractions for his
office, the county as part of this year’s budget approved District
Attorney John Sarsfield’s request for a part-time administrative
position at a cost of nearly $30,000 for the year.
With an overload of cases and several distractions for his office, the county as part of this year’s budget approved District Attorney John Sarsfield’s request for a part-time administrative position at a cost of nearly $30,000 for the year.
Sarsfield on Monday initially proposed hiring a “special agent” to help with an array of criminal and civil prosecutions. The job duties as listed had included the investigation of fraud matters and alleged corruption in public agencies.
Though he said Wednesday those previously proposed qualifications had not directly related to the District 5 election probe or other specific allegations of corruption.
After meeting with the personnel director and county administrative officer early this week, however, they redefined the job duties, Sarsfield said. And the extra person will no longer have peace officer status. He or she will act in a “coordinator” role, Sarsfield he said.
Sarsfield said the position plays into a reorganization of the District Attorney’s Office he has been gradually implementing since his tenure began in January 2003.
“We are very, very understaffed,” Sarsfield said.
But he acknowledged there are other distractions he’s facing personally – namely the recent poisoning of his family’s two dogs – leaving him little time to run the office as efficiently as he’d like.
Police have concluded Sarsfield’s two dogs were poisoned with antifreeze July 26. Both animals died. And investigators have no leads or suspects.
“My primary concern right now is the safety of my family,” Sarsfield said.
The district attorney also has a couple of other obstacles on his plate, too.
Two women have threatened litigation claiming he was having an inner-office affair creating a hostile workplace. And he may be fighting for his job if a group trying to oust him from office obtains enough registered voters’ signatures – 5,201 – to force a recall election.
The funding for the new position will not come from the general fund. There was $50,000 leftover in unused grant money from this year’s budget.
Kollin Kosmicki can be reached at 637-5566, ext. 331 or at
kk*******@fr***********.com
.
