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DOA: $106,000 addition covers ongoing OPA lease; public defender talks with Anchorage on misdemeanor representation ongoing
Summary
DOA said a $106,000 ongoing budget increment covers the Office of Public Advocacy’s current private lease; the department also reported the Public Defender Agency is discussing municipal misdemeanor representation with the Municipality of Anchorage but details and any budget ask remain pending.
The Senate Finance Subcommittee on March 17 reviewed several smaller budget and service items, including an ongoing lease increment for the Office of Public Advocacy (OPA) and potential municipal work by the Public Defender Agency (PDA).
Eric Demolen told the committee the $106,000 increment requested for OPA covers the ongoing lease expense for their private office space. “This is a private lease that we currently have with the OPA offices and not reflective of an increased footprint,” Demolen said. He added tenant improvements tied to safety concerns (glass, office modifications) were already funded through a separate RSA from the governor’s office and that the $106,000 represents the ongoing lease base cost.
On defense services, Demolen said the Public Defender Agency has been discussing taking over some misdemeanor public‑defense work for the Municipality of Anchorage similar to efforts by the Department of Law on prosecution. He told the committee that discussions about whether and how to budget for municipal cases are ongoing and that there was no finalized budget ask at the time of the hearing.
Committee members asked for a follow‑up on the scope and any budget implications of PDA’s potential municipal engagement. No new appropriations were adopted at the session.
