The Ohio County Prosecutor's Office may soon get some relief from the ''overwhelming'' amount of paperwork staffers must sift through every day.

During a county commission meeting Tuesday, Prosecutor Scott Smith asked commissioners Randy Wharton, Tim McCormick and David Sims for funding to purchase computer software and other equipment to make his office ''paperless.''

''We are overwhelmed at the prosecutor's office with the work we are doing,'' he said, referring to the time and money spent filing and copying documents per case.

For example, in a three-month period, 43,000 copies were made at a cost of $500, plus another $300 for paper, he said. In a year, about $3,200 is spent on copying and paper purchases.

''2009 is starting out to be another busy year. We have four murder cases coming up. We have three cases with multiple sexual offenses against children, and we have several robbery cases,'' Smith said.

He noted a paperless system would make his office more efficient and organized.

Instead of having to make copies of evidence for the defense and judge, the information could be given to them on a disc and read on a laptop computer, Smith said.

He estimated the cost of the new system, which would include computer software, a server, laptops and scanner, at $40,000 to $45,000.

Commissioners voted unanimously to seek bids for the package.

In other matters, commissioners voted to elect Wharton as president and for Sims to remain as vice president. The following were re-appointed as staff members: Administrator Greg Stewart, Dog Warden Doug McCroskey, airport Manager Tom Tominack and legal counsel Landers Bonenberger. McCroskey also will continue to serve as humane officer for the county.

Commissioners approved paying Walters Construction Co. $102,049 for work already completed on an access road at the Wheeling-Ohio County Airport. Tominack noted 95 percent of the project was covered by a grant from the Federal Aviation Administration, and 2.5 percent by the state and 2.5 percent by Ohio County.

Also, Ohio County will be administering a $1 million West Virginia Military Affairs and Public Safety grant to be distributed among half of West Virginia's counties for new mobile radios to be used in a statewide system.

An additional $275,000 grant will be distributed among all 55 counties for purchase of consolettes, which are devices that will allow counties not already on the statewide system to use the system, Stewart said.