Hermiston City Council to Consider General Fund Budget Cuts to Increase Spending on Public Defenders

The Hermiston City Council has directed staff to compile $250,000 in spending cuts to General Fund departments for consideration at a future meeting in order to cover increased spending for public defense services and retain misdemeanor case jurisdiction within the Hermiston Municipal Court.

The request follows ongoing challenges to secure consistent public defense services for Hermiston Municipal Court due to a statewide shortage of criminal attorneys. Despite repeated requests for proposals and outreach to state and national legal networks at its current offered rates, the City has struggled to maintain long-term defense contracts.

A proposed rate structure would align with Oregon Public Defense Commission standards, bringing Hermiston’s annual cost for defense services to approximately $400,000 for the 2025–26 fiscal year, up from the current $150,000 allocation in the City's budget. The increase would be intended to make the City’s defense contracts more competitive and attract qualified attorneys to serve the local court, but would need to be paid for through cuts to other General Fund services.

"I feel like we're stuck between a rock and a hard spot, because what's going on right now is not sustainable at the city level or the county level," said Roy Barron, City Councilor.

The decision to increase spending on Public Defense would help ensure that misdemeanor cases cited by the Hermiston Police Department will continue to be filed and adjudicated locally.  Other General Fund departments and services Include Police, Library, Parks, Recreation, Airport, and Senior & Disabled Transit among others.