978.11
978.11
Budget. The department of administration shall prepare the budget of the prosecution system and submit it in accordance with
s. 16.42.
978.11 History
History: 1989 a. 31;
1991 a. 39.
978.12
978.12
Salaries and benefits of district attorney and state employes in office of district attorney. 978.12(1)(a)1.1. The annual salary of each district attorney shall be reviewed and established in the same manner as provided for positions in the classified service under
s. 230.12 (3), except that no district attorney may receive a salary that is greater than the salary established for the office of attorney general under
s. 20.923 (2). Except as provided in
subd. 2., the salary of each district attorney shall be established at the rate that is in effect for his or her office on the 2nd Tuesday of July preceding the commencement of his or her term of office. The compensation plan shall include separate salary rates for district attorneys in the following categories based on the population of the prosecutorial units in which they serve, as determined under
s. 16.96 on October 10 of the year prior to commencement of their terms of office:
978.12(1)(a)1.a.
a. Prosecutorial units having a population of more than 500,000.
978.12(1)(a)1.b.
b. Prosecutorial units having a population of more than 250,000 but not more than 500,000.
978.12(1)(a)1.c.
c. Prosecutorial units having a population of more than 100,000 but not more than 250,000.
978.12(1)(a)1.d.
d. Prosecutorial units having a population of more than 75,000 but not more than 100,000.
978.12(1)(a)1.e.
e. Prosecutorial units having a population of more than 50,000 but not more than 75,000.
978.12(1)(a)1.f.
f. Prosecutorial units having a population of more than 35,000 but not more than 50,000.
978.12(1)(a)1.g.
g. Prosecutorial units having a population of more than 20,000 but not more than 35,000.
978.12(1)(a)1.h.
h. Prosecutorial units having a population of not more than 20,000.
978.12(1)(a)2.
2. If an individual is appointed to fill a vacancy in the office of district attorney, the appointee shall be compensated for the residue of the unexpired term at the same rate that applied to the individual who vacates the office filled by the appointee on the date the vacancy occurs.
978.12(1)(b)
(b)
Deputy district attorneys. Deputy district attorneys shall be employed outside the classified service. The state shall pay a salary to deputy district attorneys which shall not exceed the maximum of any pay range to which assistant district attorney positions are assigned, except that a deputy district attorney may receive additional compensation for supervisory duties in accordance with supplementary provisions for supervisory and managerial employes in the state compensation plan.
978.12(1)(c)
(c)
Assistant district attorneys. Assistant district attorneys shall be employed outside the classified service. For purposes of salary administration, the secretary of employment relations shall establish one or more classifications for assistant district attorneys in accordance with the classification or classifications allocated to assistant attorneys general. Except as provided in
s. 111.93 (3), the salaries of assistant district attorneys shall be established and adjusted in accordance with the state compensation plan for assistant attorneys general whose positions are allocated to the classification or classifications established by the secretary of employment relations.
978.12(2)
(2) State seniority. A county employe who is transferred to state employment under
1989 Wisconsin Act 31 shall have his or her seniority with the state computed by treating the employe's total service with any county in the position of district attorney, deputy district attorney or assistant district attorney as state service.
978.12(3)
(3) Sick leave. A county employe who is transferred to state employment under
1989 Wisconsin Act 31 shall have his or her sick leave accrued with the state computed by treating the employe's unused balance of sick leave accrued with the county by which the employe was most recently employed in the position or positions of district attorney, deputy district attorney or assistant district attorney as sick leave accrued in state service, but not to exceed the amount of sick leave the employe would have accrued in state service for the same period, if the employe is able to provide adequate documentation in accounting for sick leave used during the accrual period with the county. If there is a formal plan of sick leave in county service but no adequate documentation in accounting, the employe shall have his or her sick leave accrued with the state computed on the basis of the employe's total service times one-half the rate for accrual of sick leave in state service. Sick leave which transfers under this subsection is not subject to a right of conversion, under
s. 40.05 (4) or otherwise, upon death or termination of creditable service for payment of health insurance benefits on behalf of the employe or the employe's dependents.
978.12(4)
(4) Annual leave. Annual leave for the district attorney is governed by
s. 230.35 (1r). Annual leave for other state employes of the office of district attorney shall be accrued at the rate provided in
s. 230.35 using the employe's state service computed under
sub. (2). Annual leave shall be earned on a calendar year basis prorated from the effective date of the employe's transfer for the balance of the calendar year.
978.12(5)(a)(a)
Definition. In this subsection, "required employer contribution rate" means the total amount paid to the Wisconsin retirement fund for similar participants, including actuarially determined current costs, any prior service amortization costs and any amount of employe contributions presently paid by the employer. These required employer contribution rates are subject to annual redetermination by the actuaries of the respective retirement systems; however, the contribution rates for elected public officials and other employes shall be determined separately when the calculations are actuarially available from the Wisconsin retirement system and adopted by the employe trust funds board and other respective retirement systems.
978.12(5)(b)
(b)
Employes generally. District attorneys and state employes of the office of district attorney shall be included within the provisions of the Wisconsin retirement system under
ch. 40 as a participating employe of that office, except that the district attorney and state employes of the office of district attorney in a county having a population of 500,000 or more have the option provided under
par. (c).
978.12(5)(c)
(c)
District attorney employes in counties having a population of 500,000 or more. The district attorney and state employes of the office of district attorney in a county having a population of 500,000 or more shall have the option of continuing as participants in the retirement system established under
chapter 201, laws of 1937, as follows:
978.12(5)(c)1.
1. The salaries authorized under this section for the district attorney and the state employes of the office of district attorney shall be paid by the state treasurer to the county treasurer pursuant to a voucher submitted by the district attorney to the department of administration. The county treasurer shall pay the amounts directly to the district attorney and state employes of the office of district attorney and the amounts paid shall be subject to the retirement system established under
chapter 201, laws of 1937.
978.12(5)(c)2.
2. The state shall pay to the county treasurer in the manner specified in
subd. 1. on behalf of the district attorney and state employes of the office of the district attorney the required employer contribution rate as provided under
ch. 40 or the required employer contribution rate under
chapter 201, laws of 1937, whichever rate is less. The county shall pay any portion of the required employer contribution rate not covered by the state payment. For future retirement benefits, the district attorney and state employes of the office of district attorney shall be given the same consideration as other elected county officials and county employes under the county's retirement system.
978.12(5)(c)3.
3. The option under this paragraph to remain under a county program shall be exercised in writing, on forms provided by the department of administration, not later than March 1, 1990, and the action shall apply retrospectively to January 1, 1990.
978.12(5)(c)4.
4. If the district attorney or a state employe of the office of district attorney does not elect to continue as a participant in the retirement system established under
chapter 201, laws of 1937, he or she may not receive retirement benefits under that system during his or her employment with the state.
978.12(5)(c)5.
5. Notwithstanding any other provisions of the retirement system established under
chapter 201, laws of 1937, if a district attorney or state employe of the office of district attorney in a county having a population of 500,000 or more who does not have vested benefit rights under the retirement system established under
chapter 201, laws of 1937, becomes a participating employe under the Wisconsin retirement system under
ch. 40 as provided in this subsection, the participating employe may, on a form developed by the department of employe trust funds in consultation with that county, elect to transfer from the retirement system established under
chapter 201, laws of 1937, an amount equal to all employer contributions made on his or her behalf, not including any employer contributions for unfunded prior service liability made on the basis of his or her earnings, to the retirement system established under
chapter 201, laws of 1937, together with all interest actually accrued on those contributions, to the employer required contribution account provided for by
s. 40.05 (2). An election under this subdivision constitutes a full and complete waiver of any right to any benefit from the retirement system established under
chapter 201, laws of 1937, for any benefit accrued or service rendered under that retirement system prior to the election. Any provision in the retirement system established under
chapter 201, laws of 1937, for repurchasing benefits or service forfeited shall not apply to the benefits and service transferred under this subdivision.
978.12(6)
(6) Other fringe benefits. District attorneys and state employes of the office of district attorney shall be included within all insurance benefit plans under
ch. 40, except as authorized in this subsection. Alternatively, the state shall provide insurance benefit plans for district attorneys and state employes in the office of district attorney in the manner provided in this subsection. A district attorney or other employe of the office of district attorney who was employed in that office as a county employe on December 31, 1989, and who received any form of fringe benefits other than a retirement, deferred compensation or employe-funded reimbursement account plan as a county employe, as defined by that county pursuant to the county's personnel policies, or pursuant to a collective bargaining agreement in effect on January 1, 1990, or the most recent collective bargaining agreement covering represented employes who are not covered by such an agreement, may elect to continue to be covered under all such fringe benefit plans provided by the county after becoming a state employe. In a county having a population of 500,000 or more, the fringe benefit plans shall include health insurance benefits fully paid by the county for each retired employe who, on or after December 31, 1989, attains at least 15 years of service in the office of district attorney of that county, whether or not the service is as a county employe, for the duration of the employe's life. An employe may make an election under this subsection no later than January 31, 1990, except that an employe who serves as an assistant district attorney in a county having a population of 500,000 or more may make an election under this subsection no later than March 1, 1990. An election under this subsection shall be for the duration of the employe's employment in the office of district attorney for the same county by which the employe was employed or until the employe terminates the election under this subsection, at the same cost to the county as the county incurs for a similarly situated county employe. If the employer's cost for such fringe benefits for any such employe is less than or equal to the cost for comparable coverage under
ch. 40, if any, the state shall reimburse the county for that cost. If the employer's cost for such fringe benefits for any such employe is greater than the cost for comparable coverage under
ch. 40, the state shall reimburse the county for the cost of comparable coverage under
ch. 40 and the county shall pay the remainder of the cost. The cost of comparable coverage under
ch. 40 shall equal the average cost of comparable coverage under
ch. 40 for employes in the office of the state public defender, as contained in budget determinations approved by the joint committee on finance or the legislature under the biennial budget act for the period during which the costs are incurred. An employe who makes the election under this subsection may terminate that election, and shall then be included within all insurance benefit plans under
ch. 40, except that the department of employe trust funds may require prior written notice, not exceeding one year's duration, of an employe's intent to be included under any insurance benefit plan under
ch. 40.
978.12 Annotation
District attorneys are not "public officer[s]" within meaning of term in article IV, section 26 of Wisconsin Constitution, and Legislature may increase or diminish salaries of district attorneys during terms of office.
79 Atty. Gen. 149.
978.12 Annotation
Discussion of what items constitute "fringe benefits" under sub. (6). Brown County Attys. Ass'n v. Brown County, 169 W (2d) 737, 487 NW (2d) 312 (Ct. App. 1992).
978.12 Annotation
Sub. (5) (c) 5. is unconstitutional. The transfer of funds from the Milwaukee County pension plan to the state pension plan contemplated by this provision results in a taking of property without due process of law. Association of State Prosecutors v. Milwaukee, 199 W (2d) 549, 544 NW (2d) 888 (1996).
978.13
978.13
Operational expenses of district attorney offices. 978.13(1)(1) The state shall assume financial responsibility for all of the following:
978.13(1)(b)
(b) In counties having a population of 500,000 or more, the salary and fringe benefit costs of 2 clerk positions providing clerical services to the prosecutors in the district attorney's office handling cases involving felony violations under
ch. 961. The state treasurer shall pay the amount authorized under this paragraph to the county treasurer pursuant to a voucher submitted by the district attorney to the department of administration from the appropriation under
s. 20.475 (1) (h). The amount paid under this paragraph may not exceed $65,800 in the 1995-96 fiscal year and $68,100 in the 1996-97 fiscal year.
978.13(1)(c)
(c) In counties having a population of 500,000 or more, the salary and fringe benefit costs of clerk positions in the district attorney's office necessary for the prosecution of violent crime cases primarily involving felony violations under
s. 939.63, if a felony is committed while armed, and under
ss. 940.01 to
940.03,
940.05,
940.06,
940.225,
943.23 (1g),
(1m) and
(1r) and
943.32 (2). The state treasurer shall pay the amount authorized under this paragraph to the county treasurer pursuant to a voucher submitted by the district attorney to the secretary of administration from the appropriation under
s. 20.475 (1) (i). The amount paid under this paragraph may not exceed $82,600 in the 1995-96 fiscal year and $85,500 in the 1996-97 fiscal year.
978.13(2)
(2) Except as provided in
sub. (1), each county in a district attorney's prosecutorial unit has financial responsibility for all costs related to the operation of the district attorney's office, other than the salaries of the district attorney and other state employes in the district attorney's office, the compensation of special prosecutors and the cost of benefits under the Wisconsin retirement system and the insurance benefit plans under
ch. 40 for which the district attorney and other state employes in the district attorney's office are eligible. The nature and level of materials, supplies, equipment, services and facilities provided for the district attorney's office by the county shall be adequate and sufficient to fulfill the responsibilities of that office.
