00;00;00;01 - 00;00;19;23
Stephanie Wiechmann
Last month, County Prosecuting Attorney Eric Hoffman said an increase in murders and drug overdose deaths and a lack of salary increases to keep qualified lawyers has severely hindered the county's abilities in court. He submitted a request Tuesday for more than $129,000. Some will go to the legal services budget, like transcripts and witness fees for a greater number of court cases.

00;00;19;26 - 00;00;33;09
Stephanie Wiechmann
The rest will go to salary increases and small stipends for deputy prosecutors. Hoffman says current salaries aren't competitive, and he's had prosecutors leave for other counties. Hoffman's office has two openings right now and one that's been open for six months.

00;00;33;13 - 00;00;40;03
Eric Hoffman
If I can't hire a prosecutor for circuit four, what am I going to tell the victim's family in a murder case that's coming up? I don't have somebody to try your case.

00;00;40;05 - 00;00;58;20
Stephanie Wiechmann
Hoffman said he didn't ask for this increase during last fall's budget hearings, because while the budget was due July 1st, the county saw ten murders throughout the whole of July, a vast increase. It was the timing that led Republican Councilman Ryan Webb to vote no on the increase. He says he supports the prosecutor's office, but wanted to wait until the next budget to approve salary increases.

00;00;58;27 - 00;01;07;22
Stephanie Wiechmann
Republican Councilman Eugene Whitehead voted no after questioning how stipends for current employees would be given out in Muncie. Stephanie Wiechmann, IPR news.