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Ohio Public Defender seeks contract renewal with Trumbull County at lower net county share
Summary
The Ohio Public Defender's Trumbull branch presented a FY2026 contract proposal that would change staff mix, add a social worker and — assuming higher state reimbursement in House Bill 96 — lower the county's net share; commissioners asked about municipal reimbursements and agreed the contract must proceed.
The Trumbull County branch of the Ohio Public Defender presented its proposed contract for fiscal year 2026 (July 1, 2025 to June 30, 2026), asking the Board of Commissioners to approve a renewal that would fund public-defense services while restructuring some staffing.
Laura Brzezinski, Trumbull County branch director for the Ohio Public Defender, and regional staff described a proposal that preserves core services while shifting four contract-attorney slots into two full-time public defenders and adding a social worker. The social-worker role is framed as a case-management and community-linkage position intended to reduce jail days by connecting defendants to treatment, housing and other services, which the presenters said would save jail costs and improve outcomes.
Why it matters: under the state's indigent-defense reimbursement program, a higher state reimbursement rate…
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