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Albany County OKs $4.5 million amendment to upstate family defense grant
Summary
The County Legislature approved an amendment to a New York State Office of Indigent Legal Services grant that extends the term to Dec. 31, 2028, raises total funding to $4.5 million and pays for staff, contractual services and non-personnel costs to improve family-court indigent defense under County Law Article 18‑B.
Albany County's Law Committee approved an amendment to the Second Upstate Family Defense Child Welfare Quality Improvement and Caseload Reduction grant from the New York State Office of Indigent Legal Services, extending the award through Dec. 31, 2028, and increasing total grant funding to $4,500,000. The amendment funds existing and new personnel, fringe and contractual services and other than personal services intended to improve legal representation in family court under County Law Article 18-B.
Jordan Cuban, identified in the record as public defender, introduced the request along with Keith Lotto, identified as director of operations, Tina Sod, the alternate public defender, and Shane Hug, administrator of the assigned counsel program. Cuban said the amendment would allow the county to fund personnel and services needed to reduce caseloads and raise representation quality for indigent clients.
No committee members raised substantive questions during the presentation; a motion to approve was made and carried by voice vote. The committee recorded no formal roll-call tally in the transcript. Staff said the grant amendment will be reflected in the county's 2026 budget adjustments and will support the public defender's capacity to handle family‑court caseloads.
The committee's action authorizes the county to execute the contract amendment with the state Office of Indigent Legal Services and to implement the associated budget changes.
