GENEVA, Ill. (CBS) — The Kane County State’s Attorney is planning to ask for raises for his staff, and he says the reason is crucial.

As WBBM Newsradio’s Dave Berner reports, State’s Attorney Joe McMahon tells the Aurora Beacon-News the county is continually losing experienced prosecutors to other counties, and the pay is why.

LISTEN: WBBM Newsradio’s Dave Berner reports

The Beacon-News says McMahon claims the county has first-rate lawyers that are paid second-rate wages.

He says in the last three months, four assistant state’s attorneys have left his office to work in private practice or to work as prosecutors for other counties. The departure of prosecutors has been a problem in Kane County for years, McMahon tells the newspaper.

McMahon tells the Beacon-News he expects to ask the Kane County Board to move starting salaries for Kane County prosecutors to $53,000 per year. That would require bumping up the salaries other prosecutors in McMahon’s office, but not his own, the newspaper reports.

A pay hike for the 121 prosecutors would cost about $446,000, the Beacon-News reports. The budget for McMahon’s office was $8.8 million last year, the newspaper reports.