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Council told proposed indigent defense contract will rise to about $20,000; formal review next week
Summary
City staff told council a contract for indigent defense that the city has used for three years will increase from about $14,700 to $20,000 annually; the contract will be included on next week’s council agenda for formal consideration.
Assistant City Administrator JD McCauley and staff (Kelly) briefed council that the city’s contract arrangement with the public defender’s office — used for roughly three years under a flat-price arrangement — is ready for council review next week and is expected to increase from approximately $14,700 per year to $20,000 per year. Kelly said the public defender’s office initially proposed a $400 per‑case flat rate but agreed to increase the annual flat amount to the $20,000 figure to accommodate the city’s budget timing.
Councilors asked whether the contract is the same as the solicitor position (McCauley: no; the solicitor is separate) and whether the contract covers multiple appointments (Kelly: yes, within the current approved parameters). The contract document was distributed to council in the meeting packet and will be presented for consideration at the next regular council meeting; no vote was taken at the study session.
The briefing included no final decision on payment terms beyond the stated $20,000 figure and did not include a vote. Staff said the contract will be on next week’s agenda for formal consideration.
