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Public Defender reports heavy staff turnover, shifts to contracted attorneys and lower state funding estimate
Summary
The Public Defender's Office told commissioners it lost 14 attorneys since June 2024, reduced spending in FY25 to about 73% of budget, and plans to use contracted hourly attorneys and a state funding request for 2026; the office expects to be fully staffed by around June 1, 2026.
Phil Silski (speaker 7) presented the Public Defender Office's 2025 report and described a cascade of resignations beginning in mid-2024 that left the office short-staffed. He said 14 attorneys resigned between June 2024 and February 2026, that the office underspent by about 27% in FY25 (spending roughly 73% of its allocation), and that while the county's share stayed relatively steady the state's funding estimate for the office has been reduced (a figure highlighted around $942,000 in his slides).
Silski said the office is pursuing a mix of internal promotions and hiring and has permission from MIDC to shift some personnel funds into contracts to pay external attorneys on an hourly basis to maintain caseloads without creating permanent budget pressure. "Teamwork makes the dream work," he told commissioners, noting new senior hires were already starting and that the office expects to be fully staffed around June 1 if offers and background checks complete as expected.
