Knox County Prosecutor says his office needs more funding

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Knox County Prosecutor Dirk Carnahan used a press conference on Friday to underscore the fact his department is sorely underfunded.

Carnahan says although Knox County ranks 38th in the state in population they are 72nd in funding the needs of the prosecutor’s office.

Carnahan says a number of positions in his office are funded through the use of deferral fees which doesn’t cost the county any money. He says two of his deputy prosecutors are paid through deferral funds, but just the cost of those two salaried positions are more than what the prosecutor’s office brings in annually in deferral funds. He says that source of revenue will eventually dry up.

He says the other two deputy prosecutors are paid through state funds which means Knox Ccounty doesn’t have any money vested in those salaries. .

Carnahan has made his needs known to the county council who’ve attempted to provide funding assistance in the past, but he says they need more personnel in order to prosecute the number of cases handled by his office.