Pay me…when?

As of June 12th, 2024, the average amount of time it takes for the Oregon Public Defense Commission (OPDC) to pay invoices is 58 days, which is far beyond the 15-day industry standard grace period.

DIO has been tracking the trajectory of chronically delayed payments and calls on OPDC to make changes to the system that ensure timely processing of invoices. As defense investigators, we rely on timely payments to cover our expenses and sustain our businesses. We often have to pay upfront for travel, records, and other costs that are essential for our investigations. The consequences of having to wait nearly two months for payment include:

• Inability to pay monthly bills on time

• Difficulty recruiting new PIs to the field due to financial insecurity

• Inability to cover business operating costs

• Inability to take on more state cases because retained work pays more and pays on time

• Decreased efficiency for crucial investigative tasks because travel authorizations and reimbursements take so long

As payment delays approach the 60-day mark, this forces us to create budgets that span four months. We need to pay off bills and balances that we have incurred for our cases from the previous two months and then budget for the next two-month delay.

DIO members have raised these issues via public comment at OPDC meetings, formal letters to the commission, and many have started charging late fees and interest for delayed payment. We will continue to apply pressure until we are payed in a timely manner.