Greene DA, county commissioners at odds over victim services position
The Greene County commissioners and district attorney are at odds about how a victims services position will be filled and by whom.
The commissioners through their salary board on Jan. 20 voted to hire Sarah Smith as the full-time victims services coordinator, but District Attorney David Russo objected during the meeting because he argued the position should remain in his office rather than be placed in the general county government.
Smith, who previously held a similar title, will be paid $46,970 and work out of an office on the third floor of the Greene County Courthouse next to the district attorney’s office. The position typically assists victims of crimes or witnesses, offering support as they navigate the judicial system.
The situation has led to a standoff between the commissioners expecting Smith to fulfill the duties of the position and Russo, who said he will not reveal sensitive information to someone who isn’t one of his office’s employees.
“We’re handling it in-house because they’re my responsibilities. My staff is performing the victim services roles,” Russo said Tuesday. “Without having an in-house (coordinator), I think it makes our job more difficult because we have to do it in-house. Is that a challenge we’re willing to take on? Absolutely. We have to fulfill those obligations.”
While Russo said 12 out of the 67 counties in Pennsylvania do use outside agencies or groups for victims services, those agreements are done at the behest of the district attorney and they work in coordination together. Russo told the commissioner he thinks the decision violates guidelines by the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD) because the position is funded through grants from the Rights and Services Act and Victims of Juvenile Offenders Program.
“I don’t know what she’s going to do outside the department when my responsibilities are going to be taken in-house,” Russo said. “Right now, I do not know what her obligations are or what the commissioners are hiring her to do.”
Russo sent a cease and desist letter to the county commissioners and PCCD Jan. 19, but it was unclear what that action would accomplish. A PCCD spokeswoman did not respond to a phone message seeking comment on the situation.
Commission Chairman Mike Belding said they made the decision to hire Smith and move the position out of the district attorney’s office because it has been unfilled for several months and has experienced regular turnover since Russo took office in January 2020.
“It’s really a personnel issue,” Belding said. “They’ve not been able to keep folks employed over there in that specific job and there’s been continual turnover. We have someone who has experience in that position. We matched up the employment requirement with an employee who has experience.”
Belding said he expects Smith will be able to fulfill her duties in the position, although it was unknown how Russo’s office may interact with her or if there would be confusion with dueling victims services departments.
“I don’t think it’s important who that person works for, it’s the level of performance for (victims services),” Belding said. “It will end up being a cooperative arrangement. How obstinate he wants to be about it, we’ll have to work with that.”
Russo wrote in his cease and desist letter than he could consider taking legal actions, although he hasn’t spoken to the commissioners since they approved hiring Smith for the position.
“As far as I know, there hasn’t been much communications since last week,” Russo said. “I would say we’re at a standstill.”