City Asked to Shoulder $1.1M Cost to Fund Prosecutors as County, State Step Back

Mobile, AL (BuzzReport) — The Mobile City Council is set to consider a $1.1 million funding agreement Tuesday that would shift city funds to the Mobile County District Attorney’s Office, a move critics say improperly places a county- and state-level responsibility onto city taxpayers while diverting money away from long-term crime prevention efforts.

Mayor Spiro Cheriogotis is asking the council to approve an intergovernmental agreement that would send city funds to District Attorney Keith Blackwood’s office to prevent layoffs among prosecutors. City officials argue the funding is necessary to avoid delays in violent crime cases and maintain public safety following the expiration of temporary pandemic-era funding.

But opponents say the proposal raises serious concerns about fiscal responsibility, public priorities, and the expanding role of the city in subsidizing state and county functions.

Under the proposal, the City of Mobile would fully replace funding previously shared with the Mobile County Commission. Since 2022, the city and county jointly contributed roughly $1 million annually to address a backlog of criminal cases caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. That funding was explicitly described as temporary.

The county has declined to extend its contribution beyond the original three-year agreement, maintaining that the responsibility to fund prosecutors rests with the state. Nevertheless, city leaders are now being asked to absorb the entire cost.

District Attorney Blackwood has warned that without the city’s intervention, his office would be forced to eliminate seven prosecutor positions, more than 25 percent of its attorneys. He has said such cuts would overwhelm remaining staff and lead to significant delays in the criminal justice system.

However, critics note that while the district attorney’s workload is undisputed, prosecutors are state officials, and the DA’s office already receives millions in annual county support. Mobile County Commission officials say they currently provide more than $3.3 million each year to the office and supply office space at Government Plaza at no cost.

County officials also emphasized that approximately $1.5 million in American Rescue Plan Act funding previously directed to the DA’s office was never intended to be permanent. According to the commission, the district attorney had indicated he would pursue state funding once the temporary agreement expired.

Cheriogotis acknowledged that funding prosecutors is ultimately a state responsibility but said the city could not afford to wait for action from Montgomery. Critics, however, argue that the city’s willingness to step in relieves pressure on state lawmakers and the county to fulfill their legal obligations.

Opponents also question the broader impact of redirecting city funds toward prosecution rather than prevention.

“No one is denying that prosecutors are needed,” said Mobile resident Martha Jackson. “But taking money away from the city — while the city is not reinvesting into the root causes of crime — is devastating.”

Jackson and others argue that increased prosecution without corresponding investment in housing, education, mental health services, and economic development perpetuates a cycle of crime rather than addressing its causes.

“Building stronger communities will require fewer prosecutions,” Jackson said.

Some residents view the proposal as a political maneuver that disproportionately affects marginalized communities.

“It feels like a game,” Jackson added. “We keep pouring money into prosecuting minorities while our neighborhoods are dying and falling apart.”

The funding request will be considered during the Mobile City Council meeting on Tuesday, February 3. If approved, the agreement would maintain current staffing levels in the District Attorney’s Office while leaving unresolved the question of why the city is being asked to fund a responsibility traditionally borne by the county and the state.