Mesquite council appoints Adam Anderson interim city attorney and administers oath

The Mesquite City Council appointed Adam Keith Anderson of the law firm Barney McKenna and Olmstead as interim Mesquite city attorney at a special meeting on June 3, 2025, and immediately administered his oath.

Councilwoman Fielding moved to appoint Anderson; Councilwoman Gallo seconded. The mayor called for the vote, and recorded “aye” votes included Councilmembers Billing, Parish and Gallo. Councilmember Paul said he intended to vote aye but that was not recorded on the roll call. The motion carried and Anderson was sworn in at the meeting’s close.

Two members of the public spoke in support of the firm and the contracting model for municipal legal services. A commenter identified as Dave urged the council to “look for a law firm that has experience” and said, “This is not an unusual model,” citing other regional entities that use contracted counsel. Another speaker, Mike, told the council he had positive experience with the firm and said they “talk in layman's language, so you understand.”

During the swearing-in, Anderson repeated the oath to “support, protect and defend the constitutions” and to “faithfully perform all duties as the Mesquite City Attorney.” The mayor then closed the special meeting and indicated the council would reconvene for the next meeting in about 10 minutes.

The appointment makes Anderson the city’s interim primary municipal attorney; at the meeting council members did not discuss contract length, compensation, or specific terms on the record, and no ordinance or statute was cited during the discussion.