The Mower County Attorney’s office has long been understaffed, but County Attorney Kristen Nelsen presented one more reason to hire more prosecutors during a county board meeting Tuesday.

According to the Department of Public Safety, Mower County had 160 felony sentences in 2014. That’s completed case files and not just felony convictions, according to Nelsen.

Counties with at least 160 felony convictions usually have about eight or nine attorneys, but Mower has had a staff of five for years due to budget restrictions. The only comparable county in terms of demographics, Polk County, has a staff of six.

“We’ve been short for a long time,” Nelsen said. “We’ve been holding out to save money but we can’t do it any more.”