To: Martin L. Cousineau, Finance Committee Chairperson
From: Prosecutor David Leyton
title
RE: Approval of a request by Genesee County's Prosecutor's Office for continued funding of four (4) investigators who are a critical component to the successful prosecution of felony cases; this is a general fund request
recommendation
BOARD ACTION REQUESTED:
The Prosecutor’s Office requests a budget amendment to continue funding for the four investigators in our office who are a critical component to the successful prosecution of felony cases.
BACKGROUND:
In 2021, the Genesee County Board of Commissioners approved ARPA funds to establish an investigators unit to assist with some of the significant challenges that had arisen as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. At the time, we had been experiencing serious challenges locating witnesses and engaging them to participate in various court events up to and including trials. Additionally, the overall COVID pandemic experience caused unprecedented backlogs of cases and the overwhelming effect of all this caused trial prep to suffer in general and posed challenges to our ability to properly seek justice for individual victims and our community as a whole. The investigators, all retired police officers, were able to assist by locating and contacting case witnesses, conducting witness interviews and reviewing case file materials to identify and help fill-in various gaps in the overall investigation.
DISCUSSION:
Fiscal Services estimates that the ARPA funding for these four investigators will run out on December 5, 2025. We are requesting an amendment to our General Fund budget so that we may continue the work of the investigators through September 30, 2026. Our experience over the past four years utilizing investigators to assist in case file and trial prep has proven to us what many other prosecutor offices around the state have known for years: having our own independent investigators is a critical piece of the puzzle in the successful prosecution of cases. To clarify, this position does not investigate crimes nor in any way take the place of traditional functions of a police investigator. They assist us in locating and engaging with witnesses, identifying gaps in investigations through review of vast amounts of case file documents, and helping assistant prosecutors, police investigators, and victim advocates in a variety of ways to make sure everything comes together for success in the courtroom.
IMPACT ON HUMAN RESOURCES:
This would continue the current staffing structure that has been in place for the past four years.
IMPACT ON BUDGET:
After taking into account savings in the FYE 2026 budget from vacancies, the requested budget amendment for the remainder of the fiscal year is estimated to be $127,880.
IMPACT ON FACILITIES:
None. The investigators work out of our McCree Building conference and media room.
IMPACT ON TECHNOLOGY:
None.
CONFORMITY TO COUNTY PRIORITIES:
This grant advances the priority of safe communities by adding resources to more effectively ensure successful prosecutions of criminal offenders who violate our laws and do harm to our citizens. These funds also tie into the County’s value of service by giving us the resources necessary to provide prompt, efficient and competent service to victims of crime.
resolution
TO THE HONORABLE CHAIRPERSON AND MEMBERS OF THE GENESEE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS, GENESEE COUNTY, MICHIGAN
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN:
BE IT RESOLVED, by this Board of County Commissioners of Genesee County, Michigan, that the request by the Office of the Prosecuting Attorney to authorize an amendment to the Prosecutor’s General Fund budget for FY2026, said amendment being necessary to increase the budget in the amount of $127,880 to provide funding for four (4) Investigator positions, is approved (a copy of the memorandum request and supporting documentation being on file with the official records of the November 5, 2025 meeting of the Finance Committee of this Board), and the Chief Financial Officer is directed to record the attached budget amendment.