Referred to: The Law Enforcement and Public Safety Committee (Chairman Uchitelle and Legislators Hansut, Heppner, Hewitt, and Lopez), and The Ways and Means Committee (Chairman Gavaris and Legislators Cahill, Fabiano, Ronk, and Walter)

Chairman of the Law Enforcement and Public Safety Committee, Abe Uchitelle, and Deputy Chair Gina Hansut offer the following:

WHEREAS, this resolution has been submitted at the request of the Ulster County District Attorney; and

WHEREAS, the District Attorney advises that due to recent changes in personnel, a realignment in management structure will enable the DA’s office to more effectively meet the needs of the office, serve the public, and protect the safety of the community; and

WHEREAS, the District Attorney has appointed a Sr. Unit Chief to serve as “Deputy Chief ADA”, responsible for managing the day-to-day operations of the office; and

WHEREAS, the salary as stated in the 2022 Ulster County Budget for the ADA (MGT) recently appointed to “Deputy Unit Chief” is  $103,833.60; and

WHEREAS, an increase in salary structure is necessary to reflect that the “Deputy Chief ADA,” serves as Third-in-Command and supervises the other Unit Chiefs, and to ensure the position’s compensation is commensurate with the increased responsibility of the new role; and

WHEREAS, the Ulster County District Attorney’s Office will increase the salary for position number 1165-1023 to $111,712.00 without longevity for the 2022 Budget year; and

WHEREAS, the recent departure of a more-than-part-time local court ADA presents an opportunity to combine two part-time positions into one full-time position, providing better value to the Ulster County taxpayer; and

WHEREAS, there are 23 local courts in Ulster County and it is estimated that on average this office’s misdemeanor caseload consists of 3,000-3,500 cases; and

WHEREAS, the majority of community members who have an experience with the criminal justice system do so in a local court; and

WHEREAS, one full-time position will provide substantially more services and support to the Office than two part-time ADAs whose obligations are limited to certain assigned justice courts; and

WHEREAS, local courts, both by volume and nature of charged offenses, present the greatest opportunities for rehabilitation and resolution by diversion and/or restorative justice; and

WHEREAS, in 2021 the Ulster County Criminal Justice Reform Task Force identified Restorative Justice as one of its key initiatives; and

WHEREAS, the Ulster County District Attorney has concluded that replacing two more-than-part-time local court ADAs, positions 1165-1062 and 1165-1058, with a single, fulltime position to serve as “Justice Court and Diversion Unit Chief” will enable the office to better serve its mission of ensuring equal justice while keeping our community safe; and

WHEREAS, the ADA serving as “Justice Court and Diversion Unit Chief” will be responsible for supervising and training justice court ADAs, insuring the Office’s polices, i.e., DWI policy, are uniformly applied across the County, and coordinating and diversion and restorative justice referrals; and

WHEREAS, the Ulster County District Attorney’s Office will eliminate two more-than-part time positions to cover this adjustment, positions 1165-1062 and 1165-1058; and

WHEREAS, to further offset the increased salaries for these two positions, the Ulster County District Attorney’s Office will decrease the budgeted salary for position number 1165-1200 from $103,103.00 to $100,992 and the budgeted salary for position number 1165-1020 from $103,103.00 to $90,145, both without longevity, for the 2022 Budget year; and

WHEREAS, the increased salaries of the new positions are further offset by the reduced health insurance costs netted from combining two benefited positions into one; and

WHEREAS, it is necessary to amend the 2022 County Budget to adjust the salary lines for the affected positions; now, therefore be it

RESOLVED, that the 2022 Ulster County Budget is hereby amended as follows:

INCREASE

POSITION #                                    TITLE                                               AMOUNT

11651023                                          Ast. DA                                              $111,712*

(PL#)

*Annual Salary

Annual Benefits $52,650

(Salary to Year End 7/25/2022 – $49,411)

(Benefits to Year End 7/25/2022 - $23,287)

11651062                                          Ast. DA                                              $  90,145*

(PL#)                                                  (Change to Full-Time)                                            

*Annual Salary                                

Annual Benefits $42,485

(Salary to Year End 7/25/2022 - $39,872)

(Benefits to Year End 7/25/2022 - $18,792)

                                                DECREASE

POSITION #                                    TITLE                                               AMOUNT

11651020                                          Ast. DA                                              $ 90,145.00*

(PL#)

*Annual Salary

Annual Benefits $42,485

(Salary to Year End 7/25/2022 - $39,872)

(Benefits to Year End 7/25/2022 - $18,792)

11651200                                          Ast. DA                                              $100,992.00*

(PL#)

*Annual Salary

Annual Benefits $47,597

(Salary to Year End 7/25/2022 - $44,669)

(Benefits to Year End 7/25/2022 - $21,053)

                                                REMOVE

POSITION #                                    TITLE                                               AMOUNT

11651058                                          Ast. DA (Part-Time)                                    $ 35,523.00*

(PL#)

*Annual Salary

Annual Benefits $16,742

(Salary to Year End 7/25/2022 - $15,712)

(Benefits to Year End 7/25/2022 - $7,405)

INCREASE                                       AMOUNT                

AA.1165.1031.1300.1300              Regular Pay                                       $16,212.00

(App.#)

AA.1165.1031.8000.8000              Retirement                                         $  4,383.00

(App.#)

AA.1165.1031.8010.8010              Social Security                                 $  1,240.00

(App.#)

AA.1165.1031.8020.8035              Health Insurance                              $  2,019.00

(App.#)

DECREASE                                      AMOUNT    

AA.1165.1031.1400.1400              Part Time Pay                                   $15,712.00

(App.#)

AA.0917.3205                                  Fund Balance, Unassigned              $ 8,142.00,

and move its adoption.

ADOPTED BY THE FOLLOWING VOTE:

AYES:                        NOES:    

Passed Committee: Law Enforcement and Public Safety on _______________.

Passed Committee: Ways and Means on _______________.

FINANCIAL IMPACT:

$8,142.00 - Additional 2022 Appropriation Dollars

$8,142.00 – REDUCTION UNASSIGNED FUND BALANCE