MUSCATINE, Iowa – After weeks of discussion, the Muscatine County Board of Supervisors finalized the resolution for a full-time county attorney at Monday’s meeting.

The full-time position will go into effect Jan. 1, 2011.

With Esther Dean absent due to a civil trial, the Board voted unanimously to make the position full-time.

“We try a lot of cases, I’d like to see that continue,” Supervisor Dave Watkins said.

Supervisor Kas Kelly had put out a call to residents last week to contact her and provide opinions on the position.

“I was disappointed I had so few,” she said, adding that of the 13 calls or correspondence she had, 12 of them were in favor of a full-time attorney.

County attorney Gary Allison was not present at Monday’s meeting, but defended the part-time position at a previous meeting.

Allison said in an earlier interview that making the decision for a full-time attorney based on money was “faulty reasoning and logic.”

“They made their decision. I think it was the wrong decision. I think they did it for the wrong reasons,” Allison said in an interview this morning.

 Allison, who has a private practice, intends to return full-time to that practice instead of running in the 2010 election.

The Board defended the full-time position, hoping to find a candidate who is active in the courtroom.

Allison said that “is a non-issue.

“If you look at the number of jury trials our office actually has a year, other than OWIs, we probably don’t have over six jury trials a year,” Allison said. “The reason we don’t is because we have very skilled prosecutors, so defense lawyers usually plead,” he said. “I did exactly what I told people I would do and not try cases but run the office.”

Kelly said she researched county attorneys across the state. Of the 57 counties in Iowa with full-time attorneys, she said, the average population is 38,788 with an average full-time attorney salary of $83,787.

In northwest Iowa, Osceola County, with a population of 7,003, has a full-time county attorney with a salary of $68,190.

“We have more than 41,000 people in Muscatine County,” Kelly said. “This is the right direction to go.”

Allison’s salary for 2009-10 as county attorney is $71,971. He has served as county attorney since 2003. Allison said he would not run in the 2010 election if the position was made full-time.

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 and Chairman Wayne Shoultz said the full-time position would be a “huge benefit to taxpayers.

“It’s not about the person in the position,” Shoultz said, referring to previous accusations from Allison that the Board’s decision was both politically and personally motivated.

The Board unanimously agreed to submit a beginning salary of $105,000 for the candidate who wins the position in November 2010.

Watkins and Shoultz said starting off with a salary of over $100,000 will help drive competitive candidates.

Nancy Schreiber, human resources director for Muscatine County, said that even though the Board sets the beginning wage, subsequent raises after the first six months are left up to the Compensation Board, comprised of representatives for various elected county positions.

The Board of Supervisors cannot increase wages past what the Compensation Board recommends, but can lower them.

Other elected positions must adhere to the same cuts if one position is decreased, Schreiber said.

“This is a long-term benefit to the taxpayers,” Supervisor Tom Furlong said. “This is long overdue.”

Supervisor Dave Watkins said the full-time position will require the elimination of one of the the four full-time assistant county attorneys to compensate for the full-time county attorney salary.

With benefits and salary, Watkins said an estimated $64,000 will be saved by the county.

“It bothers me to lower the head count,” Shoultz said, adding he will be disappointed to see one of the four “very qualified” county attorneys removed.

Because it is expected to be an open election with no incumbent running next November, Watkins said he’d like residents to research candidates closely.

Assistant County attorney announces 2010 candidacy

MUSCATINE, Iowa — Assistant Muscatine County attorney Alan Ostergren said he will campaign next year as a Republican candidate for county attorney.

Ostergren, who lives in Blue Grass and says he is looking at homes in Muscatine County, declined to provide details for his campaign. He said he will make a more formal and detailed announcement at a later date.

“At this point, it is my intent to run for full-time county attorney,” Ostergren said.

One issue that Ostergren finds important since the position’s change is a “necessary conversation” between the new county attorney and the Board of Supervisors regarding the staff levels in the attorney’s office.

“Right now there would be four full-time lawyers in the office,” Ostergren said. “That would put our staffing level dramatically below similar sized counties.”

County attorney Gary Allison, who will not be running in 2010, said he will support Ostergren’s candidacy.

“If we are going to have a full-time attorney, he would make a good one,” Allison said.

Ostergren said with the steady amount of crime and convictions at the county level, he is hesitant to agree seeing one assistant go.

“We have to determine appropriate level staffing,” he said.