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Lake City council authorizes mayor to negotiate in‑house city attorney contract after public concern over charter and conflicts
Summary
Council authorized the mayor to negotiate terms for bringing a city attorney on staff (parameters in a draft contract) after a lengthy public discussion about charter authority and conflict of interest; council also discussed hiring outside counsel to advise negotiation if the chosen candidate is the current city attorney.
The Lake City Council on April 21 voted to authorize the mayor to proceed with negotiations under parameters set forth in a draft contract to create an in‑house city attorney position. The vote followed a lengthy discussion and public comment raising questions about charter authority, process transparency and potential conflicts of interest.
City Manager Don Rosenthal presented a contract framework and said the intent was to shift from purchasing outside counsel hours to a full‑time in‑house attorney (2,080 hours annually) and a legal assistant, arguing the city would receive more legal time for a comparable cost. He said the document in the council packet contained salary and benefits parameters and asked that the mayor be authorized to…
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