Guthrie County Attorney Mary Benton told the Board of Supervisors Thursday morning that she spends too much time following up with the Sheriff’s office in order to receive additional details about cases not noted in reports and says she sometimes has to speak with several different individuals to attain the desired information. Benton noted that better cooperation and clearer communication between her office and the Sheriff’s office would make it easier for her to win more of the ever-growing amount of cases to prosecute. In order to better accommodate the busy workload, Benton is asking the Supervisors to consider budgeting for a full-time Assistant County Attorney in the 2016/17 fiscal year budget.

Additionally, County Recorder Jacki Sloss is also requesting more full-time help. Sloss says part-time worker Julie Tallman has been employed for nearly three years and has been lauded by the federal government for being an excellent passport agent. Sloss says in addition to Tallman’s good work and an increase in workload due to new statewide vital records policy, she’s recommending Tallman receive a full-time salary of 80% of the recorder’s salary.

Plus, Conservation Director Joe Hanner reviewed his budget request with the Board. Hanner expects 2016 to be a strong year for camping, following last summer’s floods and is expecting $36,000 in camping revenue and an additional $16,000 in funding from area trail fees.