The Cumberland County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to advertise a position for someone who would act as the county attorney and as a part-time commonwealth’s attorney.

The salary range is expected to be between $75,000-$90,000 a year.

Cumberland County Commonwealth’s Attorney Patricia Scales spoke during the board of supervisors meeting and requested that the county grant supplemental funding for a part-time commonwealth’s attorney to be at the office two-and-a-half days a week.

Scales, who has been a part-time commonwealth’s attorney since 1995 and the full-time commonwealth’s attorney since 2013, said the number of cases in the county have increased steadily over the years due to the opioid crisis and the investigations and indictments of area drug and gang task forces. Scales said she has made similar requests for an assistant commonwealth’s attorney since 2013.

On top of an already demanding schedule, Scales said she is expected to prosecute in the recent tragedy involving Cumberland County resident Amy Renee Fabian, whose remains were found in a truck in Mecklenburg County.

The suspect, George Knisley IV, is currently incarcerated in North Carolina.

Scales said the assistant commonwealth’s attorney would assist the county with the current caseload.

Scales said she has an administrative assistant, but that there are many tasks she needs to do herself because they can only be done by a commonwealth’s attorney.

Citing surrounding counties, Scales said Cumberland is the only county that she knows of that only has one full-time commonwealth’s attorney and no part-time assistant commonwealth’s attorney.

Buckingham has one commonwealth’s attorney and an assistant commonwealth’s attorney, and Prince Edward County has one commonwealth’s attorney and two assistant commonwealth’s attorneys.

Scales said she had an assistant commonwealth’s attorney in the early to mid-2000s, but with the economic downturn in 2008, she said the position was removed.

District Five Supervisor Parker Wheeler asked when the case involving Fabian and Knisley is expected to be prosecuted.

Scales said she could not disclose information about the case.

District One Supervisor William “Bill” Osl asked whether the position could be temporarily contracted.

Chairman and District Four Supervisor David Meinhard made the initial suggestion to advertise for a position where the person hired would be the part-time commonwealth’s attorney for two-and-a-half days of the week and a county attorney.

Scales said that could be considered, but said that there may be instances where the person may experience divided loyalties or responsibilities.