CLEARFIELD – On Tuesday members of the Clearfield County Salary Board approved two requests from District Attorney William A. Shaw Jr.
First, the board approved the collapse of the first assistant district attorney position. Second, the board approved the creation of an assistant district attorney position.
The salary for the assistant district attorney position was set at $37,639 annually. This is the salary for both starting public defenders and assistant district attorneys, said Commissioner Joan Robinson-McMillen, chair.
She said that both of the DA’s requests will be effective May 30. She noted that First Assistant District Attorney Beau Grove will be leaving the DA’s Office, and the board wishes him the best in his future endeavors.
Grove was present at the meeting on behalf of Shaw. He shared plans to pursue private practice in his hometown of Ridgway in Elk County.
According to him, Shaw plans to keep three assistants in the DA’s Office at this time. So far as his knowledge, Grove believed Shaw wanted to take his time in naming a first assistant district attorney.
Grove noted that the first assistant district attorney is a position with increased responsibilities and decision-making.
“It’s not something you just step into. It’s not the same job [as an assistant district attorney],” he said. Grove said he worked in the DA’s Office for approximately two years before being promoted to first assistant district attorney.
Victim Witness Coordinator Margie Rosselli, who was present at the meeting, said her office works closely with the DA’s Office. She said her staff members will also miss Grove.
During the regular commissioners’ meeting, Rosselli presented a modification to the Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) grant. She said her modification request was due to the federal government lifting the cap on funding to states to provide direct services to victims of crime.
Rosselli said her modification request was for the period of July 1, 2015 through June 30, 2016. She said it was an increase in funding for the Victim Witness budget, and it essentially added a third year to the current VOCA grant.
According to her, the VOCA grant funding will be used for 20 percent of the wages for a third staff member to provide services, along with 20 percent of the benefits.
Currently, Rosselli said the two Victim Witness staff members provide VOCA services in Clearfield County. With the increase, she said these staff members will continue to do so with their benefits being funded in accordance to their percentage of work using VOCA funding.
Rosselli said the VOCA increase will also cover a percentage of the office supplies, postage, copier expenses, training expenses and support group provisions for the Victim Witness program during the funding period.
