The Berrien County Board of Commissioners has held off on approving a pay increase for entry-level assistant public defenders while the matter receives more study.

At a meeting this week, commissioners considered a resolution that would have raised the salary for those new public defenders to get them more in line with public defenders in nearby counties. However, Commissioner Bob Harrison, chair of the Personnel and Human Services Committee, pumped the brakes on the wage hike Thursday.

“ Chair, I’d like to offer a resolution that we table that resolution pending additional discussion and investigation by the PHS Committee,” Harrisons said.

We’re told other departments in the county have made inquiries about the pay increase proposed for public defenders, something Harrison indicated i

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