HINDS COUNTY, Miss. (WJTV) – Hinds County District Attorney Jody Owens said recent decisions by Hinds County supervisors will make residents less safe.

He said despite supervisors raising taxes, positions at the district attorney’s office are being cut and salaries are being slashed. According to Owens, the cuts come despite his office already being under-funded and having the biggest caseload in Mississippi.

“Today I was properly noted that the Hinds County Board of Supervisors cut 33% of our administrative and investigative staff. In addition, they reduced the salaries of four other employees just last week. The Hinds County Board of Supervisors adopted the budget for the fiscal year in a special meeting. In that meeting, they voted to raise millage rates, which means Hinds County taxpayers would pay higher taxes. The taxes would be used to pay for $450 million jail. I found out yesterday afternoon that supervisors submitted combinations to raise taxes and then taking more money, but they also cut the district attorney’s office staff,” Owens stated on Wednesday.

The district attorney said his previous requests for matters, such as increased funding for his office, were ignored by the supervisors.

In a statement to WJTV 12 News, Hinds County Supervisor Robert Graham, District 1, said, “By law the board of supervisors has to balance their budget each year, nearly every department within the county government saw a decrease, not just the district attorney. The district attorney and members of the district attorney’s office are state employees and receive a majority of their funding from the state, not the county.”