CHENANGO COUNTY – A push from the District Attorney's Office to have an additional full-time Assistant DA on staff gained more traction last week after receiving support from the county's committee on finance.

According to the DA's Office, increased drug activity and related crimes across the county warrant a second full-time ADA position to help alleviate a growing workload. The request was initially brought to county heads in the summer of 2013, but was tabled due to uncertainty of the source additional costs in salary and benefits.

Despite the increased burden on taxpayers, District Attorney Joseph McBride made the case Thursday that another full-time position is necessary to keep the department from an overbearing workload.

“Times are changing in Chenango County and unfortunately, we need to make some changes at the DA's level in addition to obvious changes throughout the law enforcement community,” McBride told committee members.

To date, the District Attorney's Office has four open homicide cases, one attempted murder case, and a spike in illicit drug cases particularly involving heroin. McBride said that in 2013, the department handled 153 indictments, 30 additional probation violations, and still continues work in 30 municipal courts across the county.

But to deal with snowballing litigation, the department has only two full-time employees (McBride, and First Assistant District Attorney Stephen Dunshee) and two part-time ADAs (Michael Ferrarese and Michael Genute).

“Based on all of those issues and based on the increase in work that we have been doing and the work I have been giving to my ADA's, we need a little help,” McBride said.