Mount Vernon City Council on Sept. 29 adopted Resolution 2025-96, authorizing and directing the city auditor to pay bills under Section 5705.41(D) then-and-now certification. Council suspended the rules and took the measure to final reading the same evening.

Brinkley, a city official, told council the expenditures reflected ongoing legal work for two matters: an ongoing litigation matter previously discussed in executive session and legal services related to the creation of new TIFs. "Both of them, the city had budgeted for legal services," Brinkley said. He explained the original blanket purchase orders placed at the beginning of the year had been exhausted and the city issued new purchase orders to cover additional fees.

Brinkley said the city had previously set blanket purchase orders in the range of roughly $10,000 to $15,000 for those legal services, and the current invoices required an additional round of POs. "There were existing POs at the beginning of the year. This is actually, I think, the third round of POs for both of these," Brinkley said.

Council members voted to suspend the rules requiring three readings and then adopted the resolution by roll call vote. City staff said adopting the then-and-now certification allows the auditor to pay the outstanding invoices while preserving the city's ability to meet legal obligations and continue active work on litigation and the TIF creation.

The resolution record does not list the specific dollar amounts of the invoices paid under the then-and-now certification beyond staff commentary that initial blanket POs were about $10,000 to $15,000 and that the current need may require increasing blanket PO levels. The council did not change policy on legal procurement during the meeting; staff said they would continue to manage POs and bring budget adjustments as needed.