WARREN — The Trumbull County Office of Public Defenders is working to increase the number of full-time attorneys working in its office and reducing the number of contract attorneys, according to its director, Laura Berzonski.

Last year, Berzonski said the office had 24 contract attorneys working for it.

“We’ve reduced that number and hired two new assistant public defenders,” she said. “We’ve had challenges in recruiting new contract attorneys.”

The office also has hired a social worker assistant in Trumbull County.

Patrick T. Clark, the agency’s regional director of trial services, told commissioners at their workshop meeting on Tuesday the state would provide reimbursement for providing indigent representation at 82% of its total costs. Last year, the agency said the state would provide 88% of the total cost of representation.

However, that higher percentage estimate was provided to the commissioners prior to the state’s budget being completed.

“That jumped our payments significantly right out of the gate,” said Shara Taylor of the commissioners office. “It was a little bit disheartening to have one payment made and then we were shocked with the rest of the payments going their way. It was hard to budget when that happened.”

Clark said commissioners, by state law, will be responsible for providing defense attorneys for criminal defendants who are charged with state level crimes, regardless whether they are charged in a local municipal court or in common pleas court.

Taylor noted the county must provide funding to prosecutorial services and pay for 40% of municipal court salaries and health care.

“This is a lot (financially),” she said. “The county is spending a lot.”

Clark noted the state is working to standardize the costs to counties.