The Coweta County Commission at the May 4 meeting approved the FY 2010-2011 budget for District Attorney Pete Skandalakis that included no increases over the current year. Coweta’s portion of the judicial circuit’s budget totaled $529,363.
Skandalakis in his budget request to commissioners said the proposal included no increase over last year, including in staff or pay increases, even though crime is escalating and caseloads are increasing due to the recession.
The Coweta Judicial Circuit includes Coweta, Hear, Carroll, Troup and Meriwether counties. Coweta’s portion of the overall $1.891 million budget is $529,363, or 28 percent of the total.
A breakdown of the total budget shows $1.726 million going for personnel and $164,354 for operating expenses.
Statistical information provided in the budget request showed Coweta with 1,232 crimes handled by the office in 2009. The total number of crimes for the judicial circuit was 6,174, with 2,028 of those coming from Carroll County and 1,616 in Troup County.
Other information from 2009 showed 973 people in Coweta served by the Victim Assistance Program and 2,986 receiving services such as legal advocacy, crisis support, outreach, courtroom support and criminal justice information and notification.
