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File #: 22-2421    Version: 1 Name:
Type: Financial Authorization Status: Passed
File created: 4/1/2022 In control: Commissioners Court
On agenda: 4/5/2022 Final action: 4/5/2022
Title: Request by the District Attorney that the court order the Office of Management and Budget to: (1) fully fund all (50 as of February 21, 2022) previously approved positions for the District Attorney's Office (DAO); (2) fund all 127 entry level prosecutor positions as provided existing to the OMB instead of 109 positions selected by the OMB and (3) add 1% across the board to our budget instead of manipulating employee salaries at the OMB where it is incorrectly paid.
Attachments: 1. Dane's Copy - Explanation of Budget Problem for Kim Ogg 03-18-2022
Department: District Attorney
Department Head/Elected Official: District Attorney, Kim Ogg

Regular or Supplemental RCA: Supplemental RCA

Type of Request: Financial Authorization

Project ID (if applicable): N/A
Vendor/Entity Legal Name (if applicable):N/A

MWDBE Contracted Goal (if applicable):N/A
MWDBE Current Achievement (if applicable):N/A
Justification for 0% MWDBE Participation Goal: N/A - Goal not applicable to request

Request Summary (Agenda Caption):
title
Request by the District Attorney that the court order the Office of Management and Budget to: (1) fully fund all (50 as of February 21, 2022) previously approved positions for the District Attorney's Office (DAO); (2) fund all 127 entry level prosecutor positions as provided existing to the OMB instead of 109 positions selected by the OMB and (3) add 1% across the board to our budget instead of manipulating employee salaries at the OMB where it is incorrectly paid.
end

Background and Discussion:
Request for return of $4.9M in rollover funds, funding for competitive entry level salaries for new recruits and current prosecutors working at the entry level salary, and return of funding for 50 employee positions of varying levels, totaling $6,170,632. This requested return of monies is not a new request, nor an additional request for funding. It would simply restore the District Attorney's Office (DAO) to the March 2021 status quo.

The DAO is operating in crisis mode. The DAO was defunded March 01, 2021, at the beginning of the FY22 budget year when $4.9M in rollover funds were taken by the Office of Management/Budget (OMB) without notice. The funds labeled as "rollover" funds were actually encumbered monies dedicated to the DAO's two primary "pre-committed prosecutors" now called "Post Bar Fellows." These new recruits generally replace those attorneys departing from the DAO that year. When these encumbered funds were taken without notice in March 2021, our operations were immediately placed i...

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