Williams County commissioners agree to cover a gap in funding for victims assistance.

The Williams County commissioners agree to cover a gap in funding for victims assistance in the county due to state funding coming up short. The commissioners met with Williams County Prosecutor Katie Zartman and Susan Tennant of victims assistance, which operates within the prosecutor’s office, to discuss the 2024 budget for the agency. Zartman says her office was asking for $75,000, the same amount as last year, from the county for the budget. She added the grant from the state was also the same as last year, which came in at $44,000. Zartman said funding from the federal level has been declining the last four years for victims assistance, and it was hoped the state would provide more funding due to the added duties and constraints put on prosecutor agencies through various legislation passed aimed at improving victims’ rights. The commissioners agreed to advance the $75,000 for victims assistance in 2024…since even if the two other grants are approved for the agency they will not be awarded until later in the year.