The Wisconsin District Attorney Association released a public letter Wednesday saying the group was unaware their new source of salary funding was coming from a utility bill surcharge.

WDAA President Ralph Uttke said they were not advised about the new source of funding when legislators included it in the 2009-11 biennium budget and only became aware of the change three weeks ago.

“We are concerned because we do not want the public to think this is our suggestion and that we had input on the matter,” Uttke said.

The new surcharge does not provide any increase in DA salaries, according to Uttke. It will shift the source of funding for the salaries from the general fund to the electric bill hike revenue.

Uttke also said the new funding source does not solve the problem of DA staff shortages. He said there has been a 75 percent turnover rate for assistant DAs since 2001, and the state is losing many experienced prosecutors.

Bob Lang, director of the Legislative Fiscal Bureau, said this utility increase was one of many provisions in the budget trying to offset the detriments of a reduced general fund.

“The district attorneys were funded with the general fund, and there was interest in not having their appropriations reduced, and so the budget transferred some from an increased utility charge to offset some of the funding,” Lang said.

According to Lang, the budget diverts $18.2 million to DAs’ salaries over the two years.

Rep. Robin Vos, R-Racine, a member of the Joint Finance Committee, said it was easier for Democrats to raise taxes to pay the district attorneys than for them to cut spending on “pet projects.”

“Over the course of the past decade, over $100 million has been taken out of funds like this and used for projects that have nothing to do with original intent [of the funding],” Vos said.

Two senior Democratic members of the Joint Finance Committee could not be reached as of press time.