Clallam County staff presented the county’s proposed renewal with the Clallam County Public Defender at the Dec. 30 work session, describing a negotiated package that county officials said aligns defender pay and overhead with prosecuting‑attorney parity and recent collective‑bargaining increases.

Staff said the renewal covers retroactive compensation for the last six months of 2024 and a full‑year rate for 2025; the full‑year figure presented was $2,289,233. Officials attributed most of the increase to personnel costs — including cost‑of‑living adjustments already negotiated in bargaining agreements and longevity/market adjustments for tenured attorneys — and to additional overhead such as software licenses and case‑management upgrades.

"Approximately 89 to 90% of this cost is people cost," a county negotiator said, and staff described year‑over‑year increases of roughly 13–14% tied to COLAs and longevity lifts. Staff also said the agreement was structured as an 18‑month renewal to give both parties time to evaluate potential state caseload standards and their local impact.

Commissioners asked about budget impacts; staff said the county can absorb most 2024 costs but expects roughly $42,000 of 2024 costs to spill into 2025 and forecasted a potential supplementary (debatable emergency) request approaching $400,000 for indigent‑defense costs in 2025 once conflict‑attorney costs and other pressures were included. Staff noted state contributions are limited (about $62,000 next year), leaving most increases to county funds.

Commissioners praised the negotiation process and the partnership with the public‑defender provider but emphasized the fiscal stress and the need for legislative fixes at the state level. The board agreed to sign the county’s side of the agreement at the Jan. 7 regular meeting so the contract is in place for New Year operations.

What's next: County finance staff will bring budget change or emergency requests as needed and monitor caseloads; the contract includes provisions to reopen or renegotiate if caseloads change materially.