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Goodland renews city attorney arrangement after discussion of combined roles and costs
Summary
Commissioners approved a renewal of the city attorney contract that formalizes compensation, an office/technology stipend and the combined role of city attorney and prosecutor; commissioners pressed staff on term length, comparable pay and which services might remain billable outside the contract.
The Goodland City Commission on Monday approved a renewal of the city attorney contract after a discussion about the office's dual responsibilities and compensation.
City Attorney Jake described the arrangement as a two-year contract with an automatic annual renewal and said the role in Goodland is "unique" because it encompasses both general counsel duties and prosecution. He offered that some specialized legal work historically billed separately (for example, quiet title actions) would, under his proposal, be folded into the contract so there would be fewer separate billings.
Commissioners asked whether the contract should be reviewed annually or every two years and sought comparable salary information. One commissioner noted that a county attorney in Sherman County has a salary near $110,000 and additional staff, which differs from Goodland's single-attorney model. The city attorney acknowledged efficiencies from combining roles but said the position entails more involvement than a simple part‑time counsel arrangement.
The approved contract includes an office/technology stipend to cover phone, internet and supplies the city otherwise benefits from when the attorney performs city business from his office. The attorney said he had not previously included that stipend in prior proposals and that March 1 would mark his tenth year in the role.
The commission moved and passed the contract as proposed. The motion record shows commissioners raised questions about term length and scope but ultimately approved the proposal; staff will implement the stipend and updated contract terms and will return to the commission if any specialized, out‑of‑scope work requires separate billing or additional approval.
Quotes from the meeting included the attorney's description of his dual role: "I'm the the one guy that does this stuff" and a commissioner noting the difference in scale with larger jurisdictions: "We're not talking about Leawood. We're not talking about Wichita." The action takes effect with the contract anniversary date and the parties will follow the city's standard administrative procedures for implementing stipend payments and any transition of previously separately billed services.
