Humboldt’s Attorneys Warn of Staffing ‘Crisis’

Orizangotelede, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

Attorneys from Humboldt County’s District Attorney’s and Public Defender’s offices have told the Board of Supervisors they’re underpaid and overworked – to the point of crisis.

The effects of a revenue-deprived county budget were evident at the May 13 supervisors meeting, where county attorneys and other workers warned of staff defections due to difficult working situations.

The platform for comments is opened by Assembly Bill 2561, a state law that requires governments to hold annual public hearings on staff vacancy rates and recruitment. That gives employees and employee representatives a chance to offer their perspectives.

County Attorney’s Association representative Carolyn Schaeffer described county prosecution and defense attorney staffing shortages as “beyond the pale,” with severe burnout from low pay and high workloads.

“We are the lowest paid in the state,” she said. “And so when we’re competing with 30 other counties for recruitment, we don’t stand a chance. We’re not even on an equal playing field with our neighbors, so do we expect our numbers to continue to dwindle? Or do we expect them to hold steady? We certainly can’t expect them to grow.”

She added, “And where we are right now in terms of numbers, we are so low we are in absolute crisis and it’s only going to get worse.”

Staff from the county’s Department of Human Resources had told supervisors the vacancy rate among attorneys is at about 19 percent and 18 percent among county employees generally.

But that’s as of early February and is based on incomplete data due to lack of state funding for work on it.

Schaeffer said the DA’s Office’s vacancy rate is actually at 39 percent now, with only 11 positions out of 18 staffed.

Public Defender’s Office representative David Celli said the situation in his office has reached critical mass after escalating for years.

Staffers in the office want to stay in Humboldt “but at a certain point, there’s a structural problem in how you’re going to make a living and how you’re going to see a future in this county – and we’re there,” he continued. “The vacancy rate speaks for itself but I see in my own office people that are just constantly frustrated with the workload and the lack of staff.”

Celli said there’s there’s “guidelines as to what I’m supposed to do in my job” and the recommended load is 50 felony cases but he’s handling 113.

Deputy Public Defender Ryan McClurg summed up his overwork/underpay job situation by saying, “I work 60 hours a week, so I can’t see my family and am in debt by working in the Public Defender’s Office.”

“The issue isn’t one of lack of understanding” of “the incredible workloads everybody has,” said Supervisor Steve Madrone.

He said the county is paying as much as it can and is headed for insolvency.

“Because if we just spend money that we don’t have, we put the county into massive debt at the tune of 15 million a year or something to try and maintain what we’re currently doing, which is understaffed,” he continued. “How does that work? How do we just go into debt for 15 million one year, two years, 30 million, three years, 45 million? How do we do that and be responsible to the community? I don’t think we can.”

He told the audience of county workers, “If you all have any suggestions on where we can save money and still provide services, still hold on to our staff and value them and not have them leave and go to other counties, please, we’re all ears for that.”

Madrone has a suggestion for increasing revenue – he said if residents buy locally instead of shopping online, the sales tax revenues will stay in Humboldt.

Meanwhile, he said he’s “struggling with this,” adding, “It’s not a pretty picture.”

There was no decision before supervisors and they voted only to receive and file the AB2561 report.