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Oakland County to submit $19.6 million indigent defense grant, board told county will cover $1.88M local share
Summary
County officials endorsed submitting a FY2027 Michigan Indigent Defense Commission grant request of about $19.6 million to fund indigent defense services; presenters said the county's required local share is roughly $1.88 million and outlined staffing, roster-attorney costs and rising expert/investigator expenses.
Pete Mena, manager of Indigent Defense Services, told the Oakland County commissioners that the county will seek roughly $19.6 million from the Michigan Indigent Defense Commission for fiscal year 2027, with the county expected to contribute a local share of about $1.88 million. Mena said the request covers personnel, roster-attorney fees, experts and investigators, contracts and training.
"Our total request is approximately 19.6 [million]," Mena said, adding that the county's local share "is going to be 1.8 8 million" (exact cents were provided in the staff materials). He described the system as a hybrid model in which about 80% of appointments go to outside roster attorneys and about 20% are handled by in-house public defenders.
Mena outlined major budget categories: approximately $6.6 million for county and employee salaries (covering in-house attorneys and support staff), roughly $12 million to pay roster attorneys, about $900,000 for experts and investigators, $86,000 for contracts (case-management and research software) and roughly $300,000 for training and travel. He said the MIDC sets certain rates, such as an investigator rate of $125 per hour, and that indirect-cost approvals from MIDC have become stricter.
Commissioners pressed staff on unexpended grant balances and the impact of a change from a flat-fee to an hourly-fee model. Mena said the county had high unexpended balances early after the change but that those balances are coming down. "We've had high unexpended funds balances the last two years. About $5 million," he said. Commissioners also asked about roster quality and the office's ability to recruit competent private attorneys; Mena said the county had seen an improvement in quality and added a dedicated performance-evaluation position to monitor roster attorneys.
During questions, the presenters also described an internal process for approving expert requests: attorneys submit a form that Mena reviews and rarely denies; appeals are possible but uncommon. The presentation concluded with a unanimous committee vote to recommend submission of the grant application to the board.
The county indicated the grant application will be finalized and returned to the full board for approval according to the MIDC timeline; staff said they will return with any required adjustments at the August budget hearing and when the board considers the application.
