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DA requests $101,000 office budget hike

During the first round of budget workshops Monday (June 30), Upshur County District Attorney Billy Byrd asked county commissioners to increase the salary budget for the District Attorney’s Office from the current $247,654 to $348,654 for 2009.

He used a PowerPoint presentation to outline his proposal for commissioners.

He said that, between March, 2007, and June 11 of this year, his office had recovered $105,645 in hot checks for merchants in the county.

His proposal included $10,000 to hire a part-time investigator who would work exclusively tracking down hot-check writers. He said the investigator would be a retired peace officer who wanted to keep his law-enforcement certification.

“I feel I could double the amount collected if I had an investigator working those cases,” Byrd said.

Byrd also said that he had collected a total of $37,090 in bond forfeitures, of which $14,687 went for court costs and $22,403 went to the county general fund.

He also said that $17,326 in currency had been seized, as well as nine vehicles, 16 firearms and 1.11 acres in East Mountain where a meth lab had been operating. Miscellaneous items seized had a total value of $75,000, Byrd said.

Byrd said he is seeking several grants.

They include:

• A Victims of Crimes Grant, in the amount of $35,910, to hire a crime victims coordinator.

• Family Violence Grant. $98,425 is sought.

• Safe Schools Grant, to hire another deputy to work with schools, $54,878.

• Drug Task Force Grant, $157,990.

Grants sought total $347,254.

He said it will be some time before it is known whether the county will get any of these grants.

Byrd said that since he took office Jan. 1, 2007, his office has handled 2,410 cases from law enforcement. These include 509 felonies in 2007 and 306 so far in 2008. Since January, 2007, his office has disposed of 965 felony cases. This includes some of the backlog he inherited.

Part of his request is to replace salary from a lost grant (which was not renewed) in the amount of $36,000. He also wants to hire a new assistant prosecutor at a salary of $45,000.

In addition, Byrd asked for a $10,000 stipend for himself. He said his salary is $125,000 annually, the same as all district attorneys in the state make.


Mirror Photo
UPSHUR COUNTY DISTRICT Attorney Billy Byrd presents his budget requests for the next fiscal year to Upshur County Commissioners Monday, while his investigator, Jon Warren helps with Byrd’s PowerPoint presentation and County Treasurer Myra Harris, seated at right, listens.

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