NORWICH – Chenango County District Attorney Joseph A. McBride is on his way to getting the help he says he needs in order to manage his department’s heavier workload.

“It’s been a very bad year in Chenango County,” he told members of the county’s Finance Committee Wednesday.

Eighty-three indictments, including three open murder cases and one manslaughter case, prompted the DA to make a request earlier this fall for a full-time Assistant District Attorney. He said the new ADA would take the place of two unnamed part-time ADAs whose jobs would be eliminated in January.

McBride and members of his staff were on the agenda of the Safety & Rules and Personnel committees twice before reaching unanimous support from Safety & Rules, followed by a 4 to 2 vote in Personnel on Tuesday. He was finally granted his request Thursday after a 4 to 1 vote in Finance.

Personnel Chairman and Finance Committee member Wayne C. Outwater, R-Lincklaen, voted down the measure both times. Personnel Committee member Jerry L. Kreiner, R-Plymouth, also voted against it.

Outwater said he had taken offense to comments McBride wrote in a statement detailing his department’s request. “Your comments about the county not having additional funds for your department or making salary adjustments when asked ... I take offense to that. We made you full-time and have approved staff raises.”