Warren County renews counsel contracts, will use state grant funds to limit county voucher costs

Warren County approved renewals and an amendment to two contracts that use state grant funding to offset county costs for family court vouchers and appeals.

County staff said the first action renews the existing contract with the Legal Aid Society of Northeastern New York for conflict family court representation services; the current contract authorization was noted as expiring April 2025. "By contracting with the Legal Aid Society, we can use grant funding to reduce the cost to the county for family court vouchers," a staff member said.

The second action amends and renews the county's agreement with the Rural Law Center to provide appellate counsel services. The board approved a one-year contract, from May 1, 2025, through April 30, 2026, for $57,500 paid quarterly to cover up to 14 appeals; any appeals beyond 14 will be billed at $4,107.14 per appeal, the staff member said. Language counting certain voluminous appeals was removed from the draft contract.

The staff member said that over the last five years the county has not exceeded 13 appeals in a year, and that the proposed per-appeal compensation reflects increases in assigned counsel reimbursement rates. "When we did the last contract, there was still $75 an hour for felony and appeal work; now it's $158 an hour," the staff member said, adding that the new per-appeal rate represents a negotiated middle ground.

Board members moved the items to the floor and approved them by voice vote; the meeting record shows the chair called for "Aye" and the motion carried. The contracts continue to rely on state grant funding so the expense for vouchers and appeals is not borne entirely by the county general fund.

The contracts and the amendment will take effect as written in the meeting materials and will run to the dates specified in the motions.