Proposed Audit of the Allocation of District Attorney Positions—Background Information

DATE: August 23, 2006 TO: Senator Carol A. Roessler and Representative Suzanne Jeskewitz, Co-chairpersons Joint Legislative Audit Committee FROM: Janice Mueller State Auditor SUBJECT: Proposed Audit of the Allocation of District Attorney Positions—Background Information At your request, we have gathered some background information the Joint Legislative Audit Committee may find useful in considering a request for an audit of the allocation of district attorney positions. Responsibility for funding county-level prosecutorial staff, including district attorneys, deputy district attorneys, and assistant district attorneys was transferred to the State by 1989 Wisconsin Act 31. Although the State Prosecutors Office in the Department of Administration oversees the allocation of these funds, the 71 district attorneys in Wisconsin are elected at the county level; Shawano and Menominee counties jointly elect a district attorney. In fiscal year 2006-07, $38.4 million in general purpose revenue and $1.8 million in program revenue support 427.65 full-time equivalent authorized positions. While the State pays salaries and fringe benefits of county prosecutors, counties pay the remaining costs, including the salary and fringe benefits of support staff. In 1995, we conducted an evaluation of the methodology used to allocate district attorney positions and made a number of recommendations to improve the accuracy of the caseload measure ...