Legislature approves paralegal amid surge in FOIL requests; fund-balance use draws split

The Chautauqua County Audit & Control Committee voted June 18 to amend the 2026 budget for the county law department and add one paralegal FTE, a step county attorneys say is needed to keep pace with a spike in public-record (FOIL) requests and increasing contract work.

"We are approaching 500 for the year," the county attorney told the committee when describing an exponential rise in FOIL requests that has pulled attorneys away from other duties. Emily Woodard introduced the amendment on behalf of the county attorney's office, and Sam, deputy director of finance, provided the accounting context for the requested change.

County attorneys said work has shifted in-house — including family-court matters and juvenile prosecutions — and that more contracts, many with complex flow-down clauses tied to state and federal grants, are increasing review timelines. They argued a paralegal could free attorney time and speed contract turnaround.

Some legislators praised the operational case for the position but objected to using the county's general fund balance to cover a projected salary overrun. Committee members said the countywide budget is a shared commitment to taxpayers and that recurring operating needs typically should be addressed at budget time rather than by dipping into rainy-day funds.

After debate, the committee approved the budget amendment and the paralegal request by voice vote; recorded votes showed one nay. The committee did not specify a long-term funding plan in the motion; lawmakers said they expect departments and the full county budget process to address recurring needs in the next budget cycle.

What happens next: The law department will begin recruitment for the paralegal position; finance will reflect the budget correction in 2026 accounts. Committee discussion flagged FOIL growth, and members requested updates should the volume or mix of requests continue to escalate.