Linn County Sheriff Kevin Friend talks about the secure entry area – complete with a metal detector and X-ray machine – of the county's Justice Center during a tour in June 2022 before the center officially opened. (Journal file photo)
By Charlene Sims, info@linncountyjournal.com
MOUND CITY – During the county attorney 2025 budget presentation at the Linn County Commission meeting on Monday, July 22, Commission Chair Danny McCullough expressed his concern about the safety of commission meetings.
McCullough asked Linn County Attorney Burton Harding if it was possible for the commission meeting to be held in the second courtroom at the county’s Justice Center. The Justice Center has metal detection and X-ray devices to help insure the safety of staff and visitors while the courthouse annex where commission meetings are held do not.
“I would like to have commission meetings held over there for the safety of us,” McCullough told Harding. "I mean look what just happened to Trump. I think it’s important. Our lives matter too. I think we interfere with a lot of people here that are trying to do their daily job. They only get about four days a week. How would that mess up anything over there?”
McCullough was referring to an attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump at one of Trump’s rallies on July 13 in Bethel Park, Pa.
“Right now, we have a magistrate judge who holds court there,” Harding replied. “I can’t say her schedule for sure, but I think it’s every Monday. If not, every other Monday.
“So, that would displace that judge, and I’m not sure how they’d handle that. I don’t know. I mean it’s your courthouse. I mean you built it. There is a judge who uses it on Monday mornings but that’s kind of your prerogative, I guess.”
McCullough said it was just a thought he had.
Harding presented his 2025 budget saying that almost nothing had changed except that he was taking $6,000 out of capital outlay. He said that last year when he prepared his budget he had asked for a little bit more because the office needed a copier. The copier has been purchased, so that budget item is no longer needed.
Harding said his budget of nearly $382,400 did not include the 3% cost of living adjustment (COLA). The amount does include salaries for the county attorney, the assistant county attorney and 3½ support staff.
Harding explained that the line item for contractual of $30,000 includes money for trials, preliminary hearings, witness subpoenas, sheriff service, travel vouchers, and training for staff.
The commodities line item is for paper, equipment and things of that nature.
McCullough asked Harding about last year when there was dramatic change in the middle of the budget..
Harding explained that with new judges came different philosophies, and instead of having court two days a week, the judges started having it everyday. At that time, he offered his resignation because he and the assistant count attorney were only working part-time.
When no one was found to replace him, the commissioners agreed to raise his salary to work more hours and also to raise the assistant county attorney’s hours and salary.
McCullough said that those changes came in the middle of a pretty busy time for the commissioners and he hoped that it would not happen again.
The commissioner moved to tentatively approve the county attorney’s 2025 budget for nearly $382,400 with no COLA included in it.
Comments