Leaders from Wharton and Matagorda counties will take a major step Friday toward launching their new regional public defender’s office. The newly formed seven-member oversight board will meet at 9 a.m. at the Matagorda County Courthouse in Bay City to begin its search for a chief public defender — the attorney who will lead legal services for low-income residents. The board will also finalize its operational plan. The $2.2 million project is backed by a state grant to ease local costs, including Wharton County’s $750,000 indigent defense expenses last year.