Supervisors vote unanimously on drawing up a resolution to make county attorney position full-time

MUSCATINE, Iowa – After debate and discussion, the Muscatine County Board of Supervisors voted 5-0 Monday in favor of drawing up a resolution to make the county attorney’s job a full-time position.

At a Board meeting on Nov. 2, County Attorney Gary Allison, 63, had defended keeping the job he has held since 2003  as a part-time position.

“There’s only one issue: Would a full-time county attorney save taxpayer dollars?” Supervisor Esther Dean said at Monday’s meeting.

When contacted after the meeting, Allison said: “They already had their mind made up before they considered any of the relevant information. I think they’re using faulty reasoning and logic, because, as Esther said, the only issue is that it will save money. That’s not the only issue and it’s not a proper issue.”

Allison said that if the resolution is passed, he will not run in the 2010 election and intends on returning full time to his private practice.

“I spent 37 years building a private practice and do not intend to give that up (to be) a full-time county attorney,” he said.

Allison attended Monday’s meeting but did not address the Board.

During the Nov. 2 meeting, Allison, a Republican, gave a roughly 30-minute presentation detailing why he thought the idea was a bad one, at times accusing Board members of poor research and bias, and also leveling charges of politically motivated vendettas — charges that the supervisors flatly denied. He also argued that increasing the position to full-time would not be an economically sound decision.

The option of forming a committee to review the position had been mentioned, but Supervisor Dave Watkins, a Republican, moved to make a decision. A resolution will be drafted and voted upon at a later meeting.

“We’re paid to make these decisions,” Watkins said.

Supervisor Tom Furlong, a Democrat, said he has faced decisions like this in the past and has found a full-time position to be the best use of the county’s time.

“I’ve talked to many people aware of our county attorney and all said the city would benefit with a full-time attorney,” Furlong said.

If approved, the change would go into affect January 2011, after the November 2010 election.

Allison’s salary for 2009-10 as county attorney is $71,971. He has served as county attorney since 2003.  He oversees an office that has four full-time trial attorneys.

Michael Gaeta, friend and supporter of Allison, addressed the Board Monday, saying he “doesn’t see how the county will save money.”

“He’s working on a 4.5-person staff,” Gaeta said. “If you hire a full-time and eliminate an assistant county attorney, you’re down to four. Other counties are working with more [staff] and not doing as much.

“I don’t see the cost savings here as you see it,” he said.

Watkins said with a $110,000 salary for a full-time attorney and the elimination of one assistant county attorney, an estimated $59,000 would be saved.

The assistant Muscatine County attorneys —Dana Christiansen, Kerrie Snyder, Alan Ostergren and Korie Shippee — in 2008 were paid $88,328, $78,786, $78,605 and $76,432, respectively.

Supervisor Kas Kelly, a Democrat, said she would like more input from Muscatine County taxpayers before she votes on the resolution.

“Contact me and let me know [what you think],” Kelly said.

Allison supporter and Muscatine CPA Tony Rees also addressed the board, saying that he finds the cost savings to be “illusionary” and believes the attorney should be visible in the community.

“A full-time attorney becomes isolated,” Rees said. “He’s [Allison] a businessman. He understands what businesses need and require.”