Committee To Vote On Acceptance Of Grants For Chautauqua County DA’s Office

MAYVILLE – The Chautauqua County Legislature’s Public Safety Committee will vote Wednesday afternoon on multiple resolutions that would allow District Attorney Patrick Swanson’s office to accept various New York State grants.

One of the resolutions, if passed, would allow the offices of the District Attorney and Sheriff to accept an award worth $66,750 from the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS) 2019 Stop Violence Against Women (VAWA) Grant Program to be used in 2019.

According to the resolution, the funds are to be utilized for an Assistant District Attorney designated as a Special Victim’s Prosecutor, a part time Deputy Sheriff and a Spanish Interpreter/Victim Advocate/Cultural Liaison.

County Executive George Borrello would be authorized, if passed by the County Legislature, to execute a grant agreement with the DCJS.

The Director of Finance would, therefore, adjust the 2019 budget by increasing the DA’s personal services account by $10,000, and the DA’s employee benefits account by $2,350, for an increase of $12,350 in the appropriations account. 

Because it’s a grant, the revenue account for Swanson’s office would also increase by $12,350.

Swanson also recently applied for a grant worth $80,400 from New York State’s Department of Taxation and Finance as part of its Crimes Against Revenue Program for 2019.

The funds, according to the resolution, must be utilized to develop and implement an effective enforcement strategy (“strategic plan”) in collaboration with the State Department of Taxation and Finance (DTF) and other governmental agencies, as appropriate, in order to
detect, investigate, prosecute and deter revenue crimes.

The revenues and expenditures associated with this grant are already
included in the 2019 adopted budget, according to the resolution, so no budget amendments are necessary. Borrello would be authorized and directed to execute necessary agreements with the State of New York to obtain these funds.

Swanson has also applied for a grant in the amount of $600,000 from the New York State Office of Victim Services as part of its VOCA Victim Assistance Program for a tentative period of five years (2018-23).

The resolution states that the funds are earmarked to fill the gap in providing legal needs to crime victims by creating a partnership between the County’s Victim Assistance Center and Legal Assistance of Western New York, Inc. (LawNY) 

Crime victims would be able to receive the civil legal services they need, according to the resolution.

The revenues and expenditures associated with the grant aren’t included in the adopted 2019 budget. If passed, the Director of Finance would be authorized and directed to make the following changes to the 2019 budget:

INCREASE APPROPRIATION ACCOUNT:
A.1165.1169.4 Contractual—District Attorney-Crime Victims $120,000
INCREASE REVENUE ACCOUNTS:
A.1165.1169.R308.9003 NYS Aid—Oth St Aid: Crime Victims $ 96,000
A.1165.1169.R408.9003 Federal Aid—Oth Fed Aid: Crime Victims $ 24,000
Total $120,000

All three resolutions must also be passed by the Audit and Control Committee during its meeting Thursday morning before being presented to the full Legislature for a vote.