Each of the counties contribute to the operation of the circuit.
The different departments - Superior and Juvenile courts, District Attorney and Public Defender - each presented their cases to the commissioners. The circuit as a whole has seen decreased funding for the last three years and this year more cuts are being made.
The commissioners, after about two hours of discussion, agreed on funding for the Superior and Juvenile courts but White County Commission Chairman Travis Turner says there are one items with the District Attorney's office that needs to worked out - the one having to do with contributions to the retirement fund.
Turner said the White County Commission will not contribute to its county employee retirement fund this next year and "it wouldn't be fair for our employees or the taxpayers to fund it in another area."
The commissioners representing the counties in the circuit started out with an almost 10 percent reduction in funding, but that could be trimmed by a bit from that following further study. Whatever the final decision is, White County Commissioner Lyn Holcomb says it's not an easy decision, especially when you are dealing with people's lives.
(AccessNorthGa.com's Ken Stanford contributed to this story.)
http://accesswdun.com/article/2011/4/238090