Budget deal saves Glouco victim advocates

Gloucester County Prosecutor Sean Dalton, in a rare clash with the freeholder board, complained last month that proposed budget cuts would force him to lay off victim advocates.

Yesterday, Dalton said a budget agreement had been reached with the freeholders to prevent layoffs.

More than 50 victims and relatives attended last month's freeholder meeting to ask that the program stay intact. Federal grant money was slashed, and the freeholders said they could not make up the difference in a $207.7 million budget that calls for no tax increase.

Debbie Sellitto, a county spokeswoman, said yesterday that freeholders had worked with Dalton to close the budget gap.

"The funding of just over $197,600 will come from additional grant funds received by the Prosecutor's Office, eliminating office and equipment purchases, sharing a clerical position, and several other cost-saving measures," Sellitto said.

"I commend the prosecutor and his staff for the fine job they do and appreciate his willingness to maintain the victims unit," Freeholder Director Stephen Sweeney said in a statement.

In an e-mail, Dalton yesterday thanked his staff "for drawing attention to the victim-witness services that were at stake."

"This was a compromise agreement," he said in an interview late yesterday. "The freeholders gave some. We gave some. Most important, there are no layoffs or furloughs, and there won't be any impact to victim services we provide."

Advocates accompany victims to trial, help them fill out restitution forms, notify them of hearings, explain legalese, and find grief counselors.

A public hearing on the county's proposed budget is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Wednesday in the county courthouse on Broad Street in Woodbury.