City council will consider a three-year commitment raising support to $3.3 million after Mobile County ended its annual contribution to the prosecutor's office.
Updated: Jan. 31, 2026, 8:35 a.m.Mobile County District Attorney Keith Blackwood answers questions from the media on Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2024, at Government Plaza in downtown Mobile, Ala.Mobile city officials will debate next week whether to add $1.
1 million in city funding to support the District Attorney’s Office, representing a $600,000 increase in the city’s obligation to fund the state office. A news release on Friday said Mobile Mayor Spiro Cheriogotis is proposing an increased allocation to the county’s top prosecutor’s office in hopes of preventing layoffs and jeopardizing public safety. “There’s no question that the responsibility of adequately funding prosecutors falls on our state leaders in Montgomery, and we will continue to press for a long-term solution at the state level,” Cheriogotis said. “However, we are not going to put public safety on the back burner in the meantime. We’re acting now to protect the citizens of Mobile and Mobile County. I am grateful that the Mobile City Council recognizes the urgency of this critical investment.” Mobile Mayor Spiro Cheriogotis meets the local media during a news conference on Monday, Dec. 8, 2025, at Government Plaza in downtown Mobile, Ala.The request is likely to spark a discussion among council members who will be charged with authorizing a three-year commitment for the District Attorney’s office, from $1.5 million last approved in 2023, to $3.3 million through 2028. The increase over three years stems from two factors: The lack of resources from the state budget to support the District Attorney, and the Mobile County Commission’s American Rescue Fund allocation discontinuing that helped the office work through a backlog of cases stemming from the pandemic. The commission, three years ago, dedicated $500,000 annually for three years to support the office. The city’s allocation was also $500,000 annually. The Mobile County Commission, in a statement, said they had previously assured the District Attorney’s office there was no intention to extend funding they had received from ARPA from their budget beyond the initial three years. A county spokesperson said the agency spends about $3.3 million per year to support the District Attorney’s staffing. The District Attorney’s Office also occupies approximately two floors in Government Plaza, a building which is owned by the county. The statement says that American Rescue Plan Act funding of approximately $1.5 million over three years was used to assist the District Attorney’s COVID backlog of cases, and that it “was always intended as a temporary measure that was understood by all parties.” “While funding the District Attorney’s Office is the responsibility of the state, Mobile County is a significant funder, providing more than $3.3 million annually to support staffing, in addition to the completed supplemental ARPA funding,” the statement reads. “Mobile County Commission also provides the Government Plaza facilities in which the District Attorney’s office operates at no cost.”Mobile City Councilman Ben Reynolds said the council’s support aims to avoid layoffs that would be likely without it. Blackwood’s office, in 2023, had a staff of 26 prosecutors and recognized that the three-year $1.5 million city commitment supported the salary and benefits of four prosecutors and additional support staff. Blackwood, in a statement, said without the funding, the “progress we’ve made since I took office is now at risk.” He said his office has wiped out the pandemic-era backlog within a single year, and also reduced the overall backlog of criminal cases by half.He said that delays in clearing cases leads to an erosion of the justice system. In addition, he said prosecutors are expected to carry caseloads “far beyond professional standards.” Blackwood said there is “no question” that he believes his office needs more state funding. “However, while legislators work that out, the work we do is essential and the need for funding is immediate.” Reynolds said he believes the state needs to explore alternative funding methods for its prosecutors’ offices. He said the current funding from the state relies too heavily on what he said are outdated revenue sources including writing bad checks and forfeitures. “That system doesn’t work anymore,” Reynolds said, adding that if state lawmakers continue with a “tough-on-crime” posture, they also need to do a better job at finding ways to adequately fund the offices. “These patchwork-funded mechanisms do not send a message that we’re law and order and tough on crime in this state,” Reynolds said. “We’re either tough on it or not. not putting the money on the table to make it happen.” District Attorneys throughout the state have argued that the state funding is inadequate and are increasingly turning to local governments for supplemental help. Last year in Tuscaloosa County,The last time Mobile city officials, Council President C.J. Small urged the state legislature to legalize gambling and lottery to raise the necessary revenues to support the office. A year later, in 2024, the Alabama Senate defeated a comprehensive gambling package by one vote. This story was updated at 8:30 a.m. on Jan. 31, 2026, to clarify that Mobile County Commission provides $3.3 million per year to the District Attorney’s Office, plus space inside Government Plaza at no cost. John Sharp is a veteran reporter for AL.com covering the Alabama Gulf Coast, state politics, and key statewide issues. With 25 years in journalism, his work spans business, criminal justice, and cultural...
@River-State @Yahoo Section:/News
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Bexar County court judge indicted, accused of having attorney handcuffed and kept in jury boxBexar County Court at Law Judge Rosie Speedlin Gonzalez was indicted Thursday, more than a year after investigators said she had an attorney handcuffed during a dispute in her courtroom.
Read more »
Top Dallas 311 calls during winter storm about pets, power, icy roadsFrom Saturday through Wednesday, more than 2,700 requests poured into Dallas 311, either by phone or through the city’s mobile app, city online records show...
Read more »
Mobile County jury finds man guilty of 2023 murder and 1st degree robberyJeffery Holley has been onvicted of Murder and Robbery in the First Degree, according to theMOBILE, Alabama – District Attorney Keith Blackwood announces that
Read more »
Former Mobile Admirals fullback returns to the Port City for the Senior BowlJoel Thomas has come from the New Orleans Saints to lead the American team for Saturday’s all-star game.
Read more »
Pennsylvania Governor Slams District Attorney's Comparison of ICE to NazisPennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro (D) criticized Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner (D) for comparing ICE to Nazis, calling the statement unacceptable and harmful to efforts to de-escalate tensions. Shapiro emphasized the need to lower inflammatory rhetoric and create calm in communities.
Read more »
Pennsylvania Governor Slams District Attorney's ICE Remarks, Calls for CalmPennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro criticized Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner's comparison of ICE officers to Nazis and called for de-escalation of rhetoric amidst unrest. Shapiro also addressed antisemitism and criticized Vice President JD Vance.
Read more »