While Centre County District Attorney Ray Gricar prepares to file his second request to change his job from a part-time to a full-time position, two county commissioners say it will not pass.

During last year's district attorney's race, Gricar said he would seek a change in the status of the office because he already works more than 40 hours a week on a part-time salary.

Gricar filed the request early last year, but he could not convince at least two of the three commissioners to back it. If his second request -- scheduled for Feb. 20 -- is again denied, he said he would seek additional work in the private sector to augment his salary.

The current yearly salary for a part-time district attorney is $40,000. If the position change to full-time status, Gricar would earn $79,000 a year. That salary reflects a state law which states a full-time district attorney must always earn $1,000 less than judges in the county.

County Commissioner Vicki Bumbarger said she will not support the impending request as it stands now. She said she does not oppose the concept of a full-time district attorney, as long as the county commissioners have total control of the salary.

Changing the status to full-time would link the district attorney's salary to the salary of judges, which are paid by the state, Bumbarger said. Whenever judges receive a raise, the district attorney automatically receives an increase.

"It's like giving somebody else your checkbook," she said.

County Commissioner Keith Bierly, who spoke Tuesday night on the C--Net program "The Commissioner's Report," said the present status cannot remain part-time in light of an increasing caseload.

Bierly said the county government "has the obligation to provide the kind of law enforcement the public expects."

Centre County has the highest crime rate out of all the counties of similar size, he said.

"We're not the sleepy rural (county) people think of," said Bierly.

Gricar has said a public servant should devote full-time to the people.

"It just appalls me that a criminal victim could come in here and ask to see the district attorney and the secretary would say, 'I'm sorry, but the district attorney is doing a real estate closing or trying civil cases,' " he said last year.

In a recent interview, Gricar affirmed that he will seek work in a private law firm if his request is not granted when it is filed. Gricar said he expects to file the request in several weeks.

"It's pretty silly to work full-time for a part-time salary," he said.

Gricar said it is an issue of whether the people need a full-time district attorney and whether the county can afford it. He said the district attorney's salary is a fraction of the total spent on the county's law enforcement budget of about $40 million a year.

However, Commissioner John T. Saylor said Gricar already has five full-time assistant district attorneys and has the option to hire one more.

Saylor also said Gricar knew how the salary was set before running for district attorney.

"When a district attorney is elected, he's elected to the job. He knew what the salary would be," he said, adding, "What he really wants is more money."