Churchill County commissioners discussed a two-year designation for three deputy district attorney positions as Critical Need Positions on Thursday, Aug. 6, in hopes of expanding the pool of qualified applicants by allowing the county to hire retired attorneys currently receiving retirement benefits under Nevada's Public Employees' Retirement System (PERS).
The designation applies to the county's Deputy District Attorney I, II, and Senior Deputy District Attorney positions.
Human Resources Director Kim Brontsema told commissioners that the positions have remained difficult to fill since December 2025 despite multiple recruitment efforts. “This [designation] would remove the PERS post-retirement earnings limitations and allow us to recruit qualified retirees who can bring valuable experience and help address our ongoing staffing challenge,” Brontsema said.
District Attorney Art Mallory told commissioners the hiring challenges are not unique to Churchill County, stating that rural counties across Nevada continue to struggle to recruit attorneys. “Lyon County has had for several years three vacancies which they have been unable to fill, even though they did this designation,” Mallory said. “We think we can do better.”
Mallory added that allowing retired attorneys to return to work would broaden the applicant pool while helping the county save money because retirees already receive PERS benefits and would not generate additional retirement costs.
Commissioner Eric Blakey asked Mallory, “Do you really feel that this is going to change things?” He noted that in the last year and eight months since he became commissioner, four attorneys have left the DA’s Office. “I don't know that you have a recruitment problem; you might have a retention problem. Have you changed any processes in order to retain your people or to attract people?”
To improve recruitment, Mallory said his office has also begun considering flexible scheduling and limited remote work when practical, citing long commutes from Reno and Carson City as a deterrent for many applicants. “We're trying to be very adaptive with our work situation, and even so, we're still losing an attorney because she didn't want to drive from Carson City over here.”
“I understand, and as a citizen,” said Blakey, “I don't think a district attorney's office could serve the citizens correctly if they work from home.”
Mallory said he appreciated that, noting that attorneys would need to be present for all court appearances and in-person duties. “We've always thought that, but we still have to be a little bit flexible.”
Mallory agreed recruitment efforts would continue and emphasized the designation is intended as a temporary tool to help fill vacancies while the county searches for permanent attorneys. He also added that all the attorneys work over 40 hours right now and do not receive overtime. “They're very dedicated individuals, and we appreciate them.”
Blakey told Mallory that he would like to restrict the designation to the county’s budget years and then reassess each time. “I don't think I want to go down this road long term,” Blakey said. “I don't want to come here every two years and just renew it. I think that creates frustration and problems.”
Commissioner Matt Hyde asked if the DA’s Office would continue its active recruiting efforts. Mallory said that when retirees are hired, they may not stay in the positions as long as other attorneys, so recruitment efforts would be ongoing.
The motion was approved 2-1, with Blakey dissenting. The designation of the three deputy district attorney positions as Critical Need Positions will remain in effect for two years beginning Aug. 17, 2026.
Comment
Comments