Agenda Item #____
Columbus Consolidated Government
Council Meeting
August 12, 2014
Agenda Report # _____
TO: Mayor and Councilors
SUBJECT: FY15 Public Defender Contract
INITIATED BY: Finance Department
Recommendation: Approval is requested to enter into an agreement for Indigent
Defense Services between Circuit Public Defender Office of the Chattahoochee
Judicial Circuit and Muscogee County in the amount of $1,378,444 from July 2014
to June 2015 and authorize payment to Georgia Public Defender Standards Council
(GPDSC) for $871,917 and for $43,596, 5% administrative fee (GPDSC payment is
included in the total amount of $1,378,444); authorize the Mayor and/or City
Manager to have signature authority.
Background: The Circuit Public Defender will provide public defender personnel
in Superior and Juvenile Court totaling $1,378,444 of which $871,917 and an
administrative fee of $43,596 is paid in monthly installments to the GPDSC for
a total of $915,513. These services include payroll, fringe benefits,
training, travel, computer hardware, computer software and legal research
software. Support staff and operational expenses are funded in the FY15 budget
for a total of $462,931. Included in this contract are two additional
Assistant Public Defenders funded from the new 2009 Other Local Option Sales
Tax. In the contract, the prorated share of all costs are outlined as
follows: Muscogee - $1,233,552; Chattahoochee - $5,000; Harris - $100,506;
Marion - $11,896; Talbot - $11,922; Taylor - $15,568 for a total of
$1,378,444. Muscogee County acts as the fiscal agent for the Circuit Public
Defender.
Analysis: The Circuit Public Defender, City Attorney?s Office and the Finance
Department have reviewed this contract.
Financial Considerations: The agreement is budgeted in the FY15 Adopted Budget.
Projected Annual Fiscal Impact Statement: This is an annual contract.
Legal Considerations: The Columbus Consolidated Government is eligible to enter
into this contract.
Recommendations/Actions: Approval is requested to enter into an agreement for
Indigent Defense Services between Circuit Public Defender Office of the
Chattahoochee Judicial Circuit and Muscogee County in the amount of $1,378,444
from July 2014 to June 2015 and authorize payment to Georgia Public Defender
Standards Council (GPDSC) for $871,917 and for $43,596, 5% administrative fee
(GPDSC payment is included in the total amount of $1,378,444); authorize the
Mayor and/or City Manager to have signature authority.
Attachments
No attachments for this document.