Orleans Public Defenders 2027 Budget
At a glance
Based on auto-generated captions; names and details may be misheard.
- What: the proposed 2027 city funding for Orleans Public Defenders (OPD), including a pass-through to the Louisiana Center for Children's Rights (LCCR) for youth defense.
- Where it stands: about $7 million is proposed against a request of about $12.38 million (the office said about $11.44 million would let it commit to bringing the jail under 1,000). OPD says it has already absorbed a 31 percent cut and lost over $1 million in traffic camera revenue, with reserves reaching a break point around February or March 2027. The council has not decided; members said they cannot make anyone whole but will try to make the office more whole.
- Staffing: about 40 vacancies under a hiring freeze, 27 contract attorneys cut, furloughs, and first-appearance representation ending in 2027 under the proposal.
- LCCR: asks that the pass-through be held at $525,000; the city proposes an additional cut of about 8 percent.
- Key people: Danny Engelberg, Meg Garvey, Kristen Rome, Calvin Johnson, Matthew Willard, JP Morrell.
Sources
Discussion time
About 65 minutes across 1 meeting (from transcript timestamps; approximate).
| Meeting | Minutes |
|---|---|
| 2026-10-21 - City Council Budget Hearings | 65 |
Log
- 2026-10-21 - City Council Budget Hearings - Budget presentation and questions: cuts and reserves, jail cost estimate (about $1.83 million a week), mental health unit and client services, LCCR testimony, and four speakers in public comment.