Council approves increase to outside counsel retainer amid rising right-to-know workload

Norristown Borough Council voted on May 6 to approve an increase in the monthly retainer for the borough's outside legal counsel to reflect rising workloads tied to right-to-know requests, legal opinions and ordinance work.

Municipal staff said the firm has been compensated at a flat rate of $12,600 per month since 2022 but that recent increases in right-to-know requests and legal complexity justify a higher retainer. The administration asked the council to approve an updated retainer of $19,000 per month; council approved the request by roll call (ayes recorded from council members present).

Council discussion noted that a higher retainer could provide cost predictability and potentially save money compared with ad-hoc hourly billing during periods of high demand. One council member said the retainer "has saved us money in my mind by having a retainer instead of billing us hourly," while administration representatives said variance statements show months in which billing has exceeded the prior retainer amount.

Actions: The motion to approve the updated retainer passed on a roll call; the transcript records a unanimous vote of the present council members. The administration indicated the updated retainer will broaden the law firm's responsibilities to include more right-to-know work.

Ending: Council approved the retainer increase and will reflect the change in upcoming financial reports; no contract document number was included in the meeting transcript.