County counsel reports sharp rise in public‑records workload, continued use of receiverships and outside counsel

Margaret Long, County Counsel, presented the office’s annual year‑in‑review to the board on May 5, describing an expanded workload across legal support, public records responses, code enforcement and litigation oversight.

Long said the office reviewed 76 contracts and 53 ordinances or resolutions in the previous ten months and has managed a substantial increase in public‑records requests. "This year, up until July from July 2025 up to present, so we're looking at about 10 months, we've had 76 contracts that we reviewed, 53 ordinances or resolutions…" she said, noting PRA work had risen "about 30%" year over year. Long described a staffed team supporting land‑use, code enforcement, receiverships, and litigation supervision; she said Trindell (the county’s insurer) oversees most liability cases handled by outside counsel and that there are 10 such matters currently supervised.

On code enforcement, Long highlighted recent use of receiverships to clean up properties and return them to the tax roll; she said several receivership petitions have been completed and that the process helps remediate problem parcels. She also described the office's role in dependency, guardianship, and conservatorship matters and cautioned that County Counsel's statutory role is to advise the board and staff, limiting direct public engagement in many cases.

Board members asked about PRA resourcing; Long said the office has provided trainings and, so far, has absorbed increased PRA work without charging the county beyond the contract but acknowledged the workload could require adjustments if demand continues to grow. No formal board action followed the presentation.