Commission reviews proposed FY25–26 budget and announces staff hires
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Summary
The commission reviewed a proposed FY25–26 budget in concept, discussed major cost drivers (audits, rent, IT migration, attorney‑general contract), accepted the draft in concept, and introduced new hires to the legal and investigative teams.
Commission staff presented the proposed fiscal year 2025–2026 operating budgets for the Commission on Ethics and the executive‑branch lobbyist registration trust fund and asked members to approve the budgets in concept while some figures await legislative action.
Staff overviewed the major budget lines: a commission salary budget presented as $2,263,696; lobbyist registration trust‑fund revenue sources (registration fees and late‑filing fines); a recommended OPS amount for accounting and auditing services; and a travel line to support investigators’ statewide work. Staff also identified large external contracts as key cost items: the contract with the Office of the Attorney General for commission advocates (staff said the AG office initially requested $473,540 and later indicated it would seek additional positions and invoiced amounts tied to any across‑the‑board increases) and the need to replace the office’s Alchemy records/meeting‑materials system with a modern platform and migrate historical data.
Staff recommended approving the budget “in concept” with the understanding that some figures could change pending legislative appropriations and final vendor quotes. The commission voted aye on a motion to approve the proposed budget in concept. The executive director then introduced new hires: Stephanie Novinario (legal team), Michael Wiederspahn (investigator, formerly FBI), and Joseph Burns (advocate support).