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Island County adopts ordinance creating Office of Public Defense funded in part by sales-tax increase
Summary
The Board of Island County Commissioners unanimously adopted Ordinance C75-25 on Jan. 13, 2026, establishing an in-county Office of Public Defense (ICC 2.05). County staff said the change responds to state caseload rules and will be supported in part by a 0.1% sales-tax increase the county approved in December.
Island County commissioners unanimously adopted Ordinance C75-25 on Jan. 13 to add ICC 2.05 and create an Office of Public Defense that will administratively report to the Board while preserving attorney-client and legal decision-making authority with the office director.
Catherine Reed, director of Human Resources and General Services Administration, told the board the code changes define the office’s administrative relationship to the county while legal decisions and case-management choices remain the professional…
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