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Office of People's Counsel projects modest budget increase as casework and calls surge
Summary
The Office of People's Counsel (OPC) presented a $35,000 (0.4%) operating budget increase for fiscal 2026 and described a sharp rise in casework and consumer calls tied to rate increases and reductions in energy benefits.
The Office of People's Counsel presented a small operating-budget increase for fiscal 2026 while warning committee members that its workload has grown substantially.
Saviksha Pujal, the budget analyst who delivered the Department of Legislative Services review, told the Transportation and the Environment Subcommittee that "the operating budget for OPC increases by 35,000 or 0.4 percent to a total of 8,300,000 in fiscal 2026." She said 53% of the budget is for personnel and about 40% is for outside legal services, and that 27 positions are authorized for fiscal 2026, unchanged from the prior year.
The Office of People's Counsel’s head of representation, David Lapp, said the office has experienced a sustained rise in workload and more-complex matters. "OPC case participation levels has reached its highest point in recent years…
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