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HomeMy WebLinkAboutII. A. FY 2025-26 RESOURCE MANAGEMENT PLANT (BUDGET) COMMONWEALTH ATTORNEY 4.1.2025PROPOSED FY 2025-26 OPERATING BUDGET City of Virginia Beach Colin D. Stolle, Commonwealth’s Attorney Office of the Commonwealth’s Attorney April 1, 2025 Department Organization Summary •Total FTEs •Total FTEs•Number of Divisions•Total FY 2024-25 Budget •Number of Divisions •Total FY 2024-25 Budget Total FTEs Number of Divisions Total FY 2025-26 Budget 122.83 3 15,000,495 2 FY 2025-26 Programmatic Budget •Total FTEs •Total FTEs•Number of Divisions•Total FY 2024-25 Budget •Number of Divisions •Total FY 2024-25 Budget General Fund, $14,326,447, 95% Consolidated Grants Fund, $574,048, 4% Forfeited Assets, $100,000, 1% PROPOSED 3 Department Operating Budget Summary 4 Program FY2024-25 Amended FY 2024-25 FTE FY 2025-26 Proposed FY 2025-26 FTE Change ($)Change (%) General Fund $14,069,166 111.91 $14,326,447 111.96 $257,281 1.83% Forfeited Assets $100,000 -$100,000 -$0 0% Grants $574,048 10.92 $574,048 10.87 $0 0% Total $14,743,214 122.83 $15,000,495 122.83 $257,281 1.75% Initiatives Underway An increase in VBPD and VBSO Body-Worn Cameras and in-car cameras videos is expected to increase the workload for CWA attorneys and support staff. The revisions to Virginia's jury sentencing process and discovery rules have significantly heightened the workload for attorneys and paralegals, both in trial preparation and court time. The Office is taking on additional cases for prosecution, which includes school threats. CWA also received a 3-year grant to help fund the prosecution of misdemeanor concealed weapons charges. We are expecting a Victim Witness Grant funding decrease in FY 2025-26. FY 2024 grant funding faced a 10% reduction in funding. VOCA funds are projected to be cut further in the upcoming fiscal years. SB1466 – Bill for Sealing Criminal Records: This bill provides comprehensive reforms to Virginia's criminal record sealing and expungement processes therefore directly impacting the Office of the Commonwealth’s Attorney’s processes. The bill establishes new procedures for automatically sealing certain criminal records and creates new pathways for individuals to petition for record sealing. State staffing standards will recommend additional attorney positions for the Office to assist with the prosecution of felony cases. 5 Initiatives Underway and Conclusion In tandem with the Virginia Beach Circuit Court, the Office of the Commonwealth’s Attorney administers the Virginia Beach Drug Treatment Court, which is an alternative sentencing court related to adult drug offenders. Collectively, we are also working to add additional specialty courts to include a Veteran's Court and a Juvenile Drug Court. These would also be non-traditional methods of resolving offenses aside from normal criminal proceedings. The Office is working with the VBPD on a process to receive digital files so that we can move closer to a digital office. The Office of the Commonwealth’s Attorney is focusing on mental health with the Peer Support Program and service dog, Zuhey. 6