Birkett: time to pay up
Unlike their Cook County counterparts, prosecutors in DuPage haven't started picketing or threatened a mass walkout.
But their boss insists the cash-strapped county government has created such a mess for his office that public safety is being compromised.
On Tuesday, State's Attorney Joseph Birkett will ask a county board committee for a budget increase of almost $693,000 to fund 11 staff positions for next year. A decision isn't expected until later this fall.
"We are literally running on fumes," Birkett said. "Our ability to do our jobs is being severely hampered by a lack of manpower. I've got to be given more resources."
Budget woes are problematic across every department. In Birkett's office, the staffing level is below that of 10 years ago. Further, DuPage County is nearly twice the size of Kane County, but Birkett operates with less staff, 133 compared to 137, and with a smaller budget -- $7.9 million compared to $8.5 million.
Birkett said funding cuts come at the same time criminal caseloads climb, federal and state grants diminish and more mandates are imposed.
In response, he's had to cut specialized prosecution programs, such as an award-winning special-victims unit for the elderly and disabled. He said prosecutors are juggling up to 100 cases and work long hours without overtime. Four misdemeanor courtrooms are staffed with one prosecutor, rather than the usual two.
"Prosecutors have an obligation to be prepared so we can adequately represent the people," Birkett said. "And, right now, I'm sorry to say that's not happening.
"Public safety is being compromised."
DuPage does pay a comparable starting salary to other collar counties. Cook pays $48,796; DuPage, $48,784; Lake, $49,490; and McHenry, $47,655. Kane prosecutors start the lowest, at $38,500.
But nearly a dozen DuPage prosecutors left the office in recent months, saying they were offered double-digit raises in other counties. Others joined more lucrative private practices.
Birkett will come hat-in-hand with other county department heads during the annual budget process at a time when there is a nearly $20 million shortfall between spending and revenues.
The county fought hard to raise the cigarette tax, but that idea is all but dead. So, how will the county board get itself out of this?
Get ready to pay up.
Some leaders are pushing for home-rule status to create additional taxes, and a public-safety referendum has been debated.
In Cook County, picketing prosecutors were successful earlier this summer in getting 8 percent pay hikes and a $500 bonus. The $21 million price tag will likely be paid through tax increases.
But Birkett said his budget increase can be paid for through two recent initiatives he pushed adding new fees to criminal convictions and those ending in court supervision. He said the fees should generate more than $2 million for the county.
"They said go out and find the money and I did," he said. "I know they mean well, but they've (the county board) got to get their priorities straight. The first mission of government is protection of the community. I'm not asking for anything extraordinary."