But it didn't come easy. At last month's commissioners meeting, Broady asked commissioners for six new positions to deal with a backlog of criminal cases. They told him no β so Broady came back again and asked for seven new positions: two assistant district attorneys; two legal administrative specialists; two investigators; and one criminal intelligence analyst.
The board approved Broady's request Tuesday in a vote, with Commissioner Keli Gambrill dissenting. Broady and Gambrill got into a contentious exchange prior to the vote over the positions, mostly related to the funding mechanism for those new roles. Broady will have to return to the board this summer during budget negotiations to request the positions be added to the fiscal year budget permanently.
Gambrill β and the county legal department β argued that this request is ineligible for CARES funding because it includes expenses that will become permanent, and is for positions that are not considered public safety. When the county received the CARES Act money, it was used to essentially reimburse the county for money it already spent on first responders' salaries β therefore meeting the public safety criteria and leaving extra money in the current fiscal year's budget for Broady's request, according to Volckmann.
The inmates died from a drug overdose, suicide, natural causes and complications from a perforated gastric ulcer, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Three were taken in on drug possession charges, and another was arrested for driving with a suspended driver's license.
Broady said adding these new positions will allow the system to move faster β and therefore help prevent more deaths at the county jail. The extensive backlog in the court system is putting off the day victims of crime can see justice and get closure, Broady said. He directed the comment at Gambrill. Subscribe to your local Patch newsletter. You can also have them delivered to your phone screen by downloading from iTunes, or by visiting the Google Play store.
