978.12(1)(c)
(c)
Assistant district attorneys. Assistant district attorneys shall be employed outside the classified service. For purposes of salary administration, the director of the office of state 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 director of the office of state employment relations.
978.12(2)
(2) State seniority. A county employee who is transferred to state employment under
1989 Wisconsin Act 31 shall have his or her seniority with the state computed by treating the employee'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 employee 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 employee's unused balance of sick leave accrued with the county by which the employee 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 employee would have accrued in state service for the same period, if the employee 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 employee shall have his or her sick leave accrued with the state computed on the basis of the employee'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 employee or the employee'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 employees of the office of district attorney shall be accrued at the rate provided in
s. 230.35 using the employee's state service computed under
sub. (2). Annual leave shall be earned on a calendar year basis prorated from the effective date of the employee'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 employee 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 employees shall be determined separately when the calculations are actuarially available from the Wisconsin retirement system and adopted by the employee trust funds board and other respective retirement systems.
978.12(5)(b)
(b)
Employees generally. District attorneys and state employees of the office of district attorney shall be included within the provisions of the Wisconsin retirement system under
ch. 40 as a participating employee of that office, except that the district attorney and state employees of the office of district attorney in a county having a population of 500,000 or more have the option provided under s.
978.12 (5) (c), 1997 stats.
978.12(5)(c)
(c)
District attorney employees in counties having a population of 500,000 or more. The district attorney and state employees 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 employees of the office of district attorney shall be paid by the secretary of administration 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 employees 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 employees 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 employees of the office of district attorney shall be given the same consideration as other elected county officials and county employees 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 employee 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(6)(a)1.1. District attorneys and state employees of the office of district attorney shall be included within all insurance benefit plans under
ch. 40, except as authorized in this paragraph. Alternatively, the state shall provide insurance benefit plans for district attorneys and state employees in the office of district attorney in the manner provided in this paragraph.
978.12(6)(a)2.
2. A district attorney or other employee of the office of district attorney who was employed in that office as a county employee on December 31, 1989, and who received any form of fringe benefits other than a retirement, deferred compensation or employee-funded reimbursement account plan as a county employee, 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 employees 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 employee. 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 employee 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 employee, for the duration of the employee's life. An employee may make an election under this subdivision no later than January 31, 1990, except that an employee who serves as an assistant district attorney in a county having a population of 500,000 or more may make an election under this subdivision no later than March 1, 1990. An election under this subdivision shall be for the duration of the employee's employment in the office of district attorney for the same county by which the employee was employed or until the employee terminates the election under
subd. 4., at the same cost to the county as the county incurs for a similarly situated county employee.
978.12(6)(a)3.
3. Subject to
par. (b), if the employer's cost for fringe benefits described in
subd. 2. for any employee described in
subd. 2. 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. Subject to
par. (b), if the employer's cost for such fringe benefits for any such employee 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 employees 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.
978.12(6)(a)4.
4. An employee who makes the election under
subd. 2. may terminate that election, and shall then be included within all insurance benefit plans under
ch. 40, except that the department of employee trust funds may require prior written notice, not exceeding one year's duration, of an employee's intent to be included under any insurance benefit plan under
ch. 40.
978.12(6)(b)
(b) Beginning in the 1999-2000 fiscal year and ending in the 2003-04 fiscal year, the state shall in each fiscal year reduce its reimbursement of the employer's cost for fringe benefits under
par. (a) by $80,000.
978.12 Annotation
Continuing legal education fees and bar dues, mileage reimbursements, beeper pay, and cash payment for unused "casual days" were "fringe benefits" under sub. (6). Brown County Attys. Ass'n v. Brown County,
169 Wis. 2d 737,
487 N.W.2d 312 (Ct. App. 1992).
978.12 Annotation
District attorneys are not "public officer[s]" within the meaning of the term in article IV, section 26 of the Wisconsin Constitution, and the legislature may increase or diminish salaries of district attorneys during terms of office.
79 Atty. Gen. 149.
978.13
978.13
Operational expenses of district attorney offices. 978.13(1)(1) Subject to
sub. (1m), 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 secretary of administration shall pay the amount authorized under this subsection 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) (i).
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), and
943.32 (2). The secretary of administration shall pay the amount authorized under this subsection 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).
978.13(1)(d)
(d) 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 the unlawful possession or use of firearms. The secretary of administration shall pay the amount authorized under this subsection to the county treasurer from the appropriation under
s. 20.475 (1) (i) pursuant to a voucher submitted by the district attorney to the department of administration.
978.13(2)(a)(a) In this subsection, "costs related to the operation of the district attorney's office" include costs that a prosecutorial unit must pay under
s. 978.043 (2) but do not include costs for which a prosecutorial unit receives reimbursement under
s. 978.043 (2).
978.13(2)(b)
(b) 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 employees 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 employees 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.
