Public Administrator Nicholas Grapsas reported that his budget is up from 2009 due to regular salary increases and the hiring of one attorney for this area, which he feels is needed to help oversee the outside law firms that handle the legal work for the office in dealing with estates where there are no known heirs or, if known, can’t be found or can’t or won’t act. For this department’s $1 million budget, the County has obtained $5 million from the closed estates. If this budget were cut, that would simply slow down receipt of these funds. Comm. Gainer suggested that Mr. Grapsas consider seting up criteria selecting the law firms that handle the legal work for this office to make the process more understandable and transparent.
--Submitted by Observer Pris Mims
