Council approves in‑house city attorney contract and creates legal administrative assistant position despite public calls for an RFQ

The Lake City Council on Monday approved a negotiated employment contract to make Clay Martin the city’s in‑house city attorney and also approved creating a legal administrative assistant position to support the office.

Contract approval and public concern

Outside counsel Mark Foreman, who negotiated the agreement on behalf of the city, told the council the contract he and the applicant negotiated “is fair and equitable and covers all concerns that the city would have” if the council wished to engage in‑house counsel. Foreman described standard equipment and reimbursement provisions, said the contract follows state limits on severance and disclosed that the motion before the council sets a June 15 (staff later confirmed work to begin June 16) start date if the council adopted the resolution.

Public commenters urged a competitive process. Todd Sampson said the city historically issued an RFQ for such positions and criticized moving an in‑house hire without a public solicitation. “Transparency, accountability, responsibility — I’m not seeing it,” Sampson said. Another commenter raised a charter question and urged an RFQ; public commenters also raised concerns about cost comparisons, conflicts with prior law firms and whether the attorney could represent the city in future litigation involving his prior firm.

Contract terms discussed in public session

Foreman and the city attorney clarified several contract terms on the record: the severance payment is capped at 20 weeks under Florida statute for involuntary termination without cause; the attorney’s contract requires substantial devotion of professional time to the city, subject to prior written authorization for outside work; equipment provisions include a laptop, iPad and phone; travel reimbursement will follow IRS standard mileage; and any ethical conflicts must be managed under Florida Bar rules and city policy.

Resolution for legal administrative assistant

Council also approved a separate resolution establishing a legal administrative assistant/paralegal position with budgeted compensation estimated in staff materials at roughly $60,000 salary and total budgeted cost (salary and benefits) reflected in the packet at about $83,000. City staff said the position will be posted and filled following standard personnel rules and will be placed into the city’s salary matrix with final compensation set by the city manager.

Votes and next steps

Council voted in favor of the mayor’s recommended resolution to approve the contract and to create the legal assistant position (recorded roll calls were in the minutes). Staff will return the executed contract documentation to the personnel office and advertise the paralegal position; council members said the attorney will have an annual review and that staff will manage potential conflicts and disclosure requirements.

Mayor Walker, councilmembers and the newly hired attorney exchanged remarks of welcome on the record. The council’s action provides the city a full‑time legal adviser; public commenters and some councilmembers said they would have preferred a competitive solicitation first.