HOUGHTON — Houghton County Prosecutor Paul LaBine will step down at the end of the month.

LaBine submitted his resignation to the county Sept. 7. He was appointed as prosecutor in July to replace Brittany Bulleit after she became judge for the 12th Circuit Court.

In an interview Tuesday, LaBine said part of the motivation was the workload caused by understaffing.

“I was just incapable of getting any assistance here,” he said. “It’s not a one-man job.”

Coming into the office, he had listed building the staff as a top priority. Where normally there would be a chief assistant prosecutor and another assistant prosecutor on-staff, LaBine was the only prosecutor on staff when he came in, he said in July.

As the board was determining this year’s budget last September, Bulleit, then prosecutor, had requested two additional staff: a full-time assistant prosecutor and a crime victim advocate/legal assistant. The board voted to create the new positions later that month.

Filling positions proved harder. LaBine had tried hiring, but had generated little interest, he said.

“I only had one application in the little over two months I was here, and they weren’t even from Michigan,” he said. “They declined respectfully, and that’s where I’m at.”

Bulleit will appoint Labine’s replacement. As with LaBine, that person’s term would run through the end of 2024.

In the meantime, the role will be split between attorneys from neighboring counties, LaBine said.

The prosecutor position will be up for a full term on the November 2024 ballot. LaBine said it is too early to say whether he would run again if the staffing issues are addressed.

LaBine had previously served on the Hancock City Council since 2016, the last three years of that as mayor. He has worked locally as an attorney, also serving as a math instructor at Gogebic Community College.

LaBine has no plans yet for what he will do after September.

“I’ll probably work on my mental health, physical health, spiritual health and spend time with my family,” he said.

Looking back on the experience, he called it “a great challenge.”

“I enjoyed it,” he said. “Maybe it wasn’t the best fit for me. There’s something I’ve discussed with the board and other people about how maybe they can attract some talent as far as salary goes.”

LaBine said there’s also a strong need in the community to address mental health needs and substance abuse needs, which are at the root of most of the cases he’s tackled since taking office.

“I would beg and plead for any community groups and service groups to investigate and jump into mental health and substance abuse services, because there’s a big need here,” he said. “Being in the trenches here, it’s been very eye-opening, the need for them.”