Fourth Judicial District prosecutors might be faced with prosecuting fewer cases due to additional budget cuts revealed Thursday.

District Attorney-elect Dan May pleaded with county commissioners to reinstate $304,000 removed from his budget in recent days after an error was discovered.

The additional cut brings May’s total 2009 budget reduction to $1.14 million, about 11 percent of this year’s $10.1 million spending plan.

May said public safety might be compromised if he’s unable to retain and recruit prosecutors and is forced to opt out of prosecuting cases he would take to court if ample funding was available.

May’s appeal comes as commissioners prepare to finalize the 2009 budget of $228 million, about $5 million less than this year’s budget.

Commissioners also have slashed budgets in nearly all departments, including administration, the Sheriff’s Office, parks, roads and the clerk and recorder’s office.

May said he is taking steps to offset the $834,000 reduction he expected. Those include seeking more grant money, converting some attorney jobs to paralegal positions with lesser pay, imposing fees for the juvenile diversion program and charging more for copies of records.

Another problem: The state’s $280,000 allocation for expert witnesses and subpoena service runs out on Dec. 31 due to the high number of trials conducted this year in the 4th Judicial District. The state’s fiscal year runs from July 1 to June 30, so May doesn’t expect to seek more money from the state until next summer.

Compounding his problem is the state’s plan to add two judges here, meaning he’ll have to hire staff to handle caseloads for those judges.

Commissioner Amy Lathen acknowledged the budget error but said there’s not much commissioners can do in tight economic times.

The county’s 1-percent sales tax measure was soundly defeated on Nov. 4.

“That ($304,000) can be snapped up in a heartbeat around here,” she said, noting commissioners expect to face climbing jail medical costs and utility bills next year and aren’t sure how to cover those expenses.

“We’re running out of choices,” she said.

Commissioners are slated to give preliminary approval to the budget Dec. 11 and final approval Dec. 15.

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Contact the writer: 636-0238 or pam.zubeck@gazettedev.gazette.com  

The Zulkosky family at Newborn Hope Photo by (LINDA NAVARRO/THE GAZETTE)