MARQUETTE -- The Marquette County Board of Commissioners has approved a motion to cut the county prosecutor's budget. At a budget work session Tuesday afternoon, commissioners voted to cut $100,000 from the prosecutor's office.
Prosecutor Gary Walker expressed frustration over the fact that his staff would most likely be reduced as a result.
"Our felony caseload alone this year to date is 617 cases. We can't handle much more than that with three attorneys," said Walker. "The case prep, the time it takes, just the physical limitation; we have five courts we service, and we're going to have three lawyers to go do it. The math doesn't work."
Walker says if these cuts are made in next year's budget, they'll have to stop charging certain misdemeanors.
County commissioners say the money cut from the prosecutor's office will be shifted to other areas including their municipal employees retirement system or MERS liability.
The board also voted to increase funding for Sawyer International Airport by $200,000.
Changes will continue to be made in future work sessions as the board sees fit.
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