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Lawrence council approves $857,000 amendment to 2025 budget after debate over legal fees, EMS shortfall and bond payment
Summary
After questions about a disputed law‑firm invoice, an EMS personnel shortfall and an unpaid energy‑savings bond payment, the Lawrence City Common Council amended and approved Proposal No. 12, 2025, increasing total 2025 appropriations to $857,000 with a $131,000 general‑fund increase.
The Lawrence City Common Council on Dec. 29 approved an amendment to Ordinance Proposal No. 12, 2025, adding $857,000 in appropriations to the city’s 2025 budget, including raising a general‑fund legal‑fees line to $131,000. Councilors voted individually after a public hearing and a short recess to reconcile invoice and notice figures.
The amendment grew from an earlier $828,000 request after staff and councilors disagreed over whether the published notice and an email reflected the correct amount for legal invoices to the law firm Frost Brown Todd. "The notice that was published specifically said the taxpayers appearing at the meeting shall have the right to be heard," the council attorney said while defending the legal sufficiency of the published notice. Resident Daniel Rapp objected to the process and said public statements and…
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