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Committee asks administrator to include 40% salary supplement and four support positions for public defender in FY2026 proposal
Summary
The Finance, Government Operations and Economic Development Committee on Jan. 14 directed the county administrator to include in the FY2026 proposed budget an increase in the public defender salary supplement from 25% to 40% and the creation of four county-funded support positions.
The Finance, Government Operations and Economic Development Committee on Jan. 14 directed the county administrator to include in the FY2026 proposed budget a change in the public defender supplement from 25% to 40% and funding for four county positions to support the Office of the Public Defender: one interpreter, one mitigation specialist (case manager), one juvenile case manager and one discovery specialist.
The request follows staff briefings and testimony from Public Defender Jennifer O’Donnell (listed in the transcript as Miss O’Donnell), who described staffing, caseloads and the operational impact of limited access to state-funded positions. O’Donnell said the office handled roughly 2,823 cases in FY2024 across 12 attorneys (including the public defender who carries a caseload) and…
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