State public records office asks subcommittee to maintain staffing, requests $30,000 to cover prior salary shortfall

The Office of the Public Records Advocate asked the General Government Subcommittee on Feb. 5 to approve its governor’s recommended 2025–27 budget that maintains two full‑time positions and a total recommended budget of about $1.2 million, and said it will seek a $30,000 other‑fund limitation for the current biennium to cover a prior salary shortfall.

The request matters because the office mediates disputed public‑records requests across state and local government in Oregon, provides training and guidance to public employees, and serves as executive director and staff to the Public Records Advisory Council.

Kendra Beck, with the Department of Administrative Services’ Chief Financial Office, told the subcommittee the 2025–27 governor’s recommended budget for the Office of the Public Records Advocate (OPRA) is “2 full time positions and maintains current levels of operation,” funded entirely with other funds generated by assessments to state agencies. Beck said about 84% of OPRA’s budget is personal services and roughly 16% is services and supplies, and that the agency is projected to have about five months of ending balance under the governor’s recommendation.

Todd Albert, the Public Records Advocate, said both the advocate and deputy advocate must be admitted attorneys by statute and that travel, bar fees and…