Flathead County Commissioners are committed to public safety and have taken several actions over the last year toward that strategic goal. Each move builds upon the previous task to ensure Flathead County has the infrastructure and staff to combat the uptick of criminal behavior, which requires: more deputies to make arrests and judges to oversee trials, adequate court space for a jury and non-jury trials as well as more prosecuting attorneys to alleviate the backload and close cases; and a detention center that can house offenders waiting for trial or incarceration at another facility.
The ability to attract and retain highly qualified prosecuting attorneys is yet another investment in the public safety agenda. This week, the commissioners approved adjusting the pay matrix and adding two deputy attorneys. “Our current wages for deputy county attorneys are below market data for similar positions. It’s a highly competitive market making recruiting and retaining quality deputy attorneys in the area difficult,” explained Tammy Skramovsky, human resource director for Flathead County. Every empty seat extends trials, time, and expense in the detention center and slows the path to justice.
Beginning in June, deputy attorneys will benefit from the four percent cost of living (COLA) increase recently announced for elected county officials and an additional five percent to bring their base salary more in line with the market. The matrix used to structure annual increases will also change.
“Our office is at critical staffing levels right now. This is a much-needed adjustment, and I’m thankful for our commissioners making this investment in public safety,” said Flathead County District Attorney Travis Ahner.
If you are interested in a Deputy Attorney position, please contact Human Resources, at 406-758-5834.