Lifetime Citizen Portal Access — AI Briefings, Alerts & Unlimited Follows
County reports $25,323.62 in legal fees from recent court cases; supervisors call some suits frivolous
Loading...
Summary
Administrator Daniel Witt said Charlotte County has incurred $25,323.62 in legal fees related to court cases dating from 2021 to present; supervisors discussed whether frivolous suits could be reimbursed and noted the reported figure excludes County Attorney and staff time, which could raise total costs.
County Administrator Daniel N. Witt reported to the Board on Dec. 11 that legal fees tied to court cases from 2021 through the present total $25,323.62. Witt said the county has filed to dismiss the most recent lawsuit with prejudice and is seeking recovery of fees for that case only.
Supervisor Hazel Bowman Smith described a pattern of lawsuits she called "frivolous," saying they are costing taxpayers and could increase the county's legal insurance costs over time. She asked whether the County could pursue reimbursement if suits are deemed frivolous.
Vice Chairman Walter Bailey cautioned that the $25,323.62 figure does not include County Attorney Slayton—ees or staff time. Bailey said, based on his review, the total expense to the county could be much higher and suggested the full cost might approach $50,000 when those additional amounts are included.
Chairman Gary D. Walker agreed the lawsuits were unnecessary. No formal motion or vote was recorded on policy changes or new legal action at the meeting; the discussion ended with acknowledgement of the cost figures and the pending dismissal filing for the most recent case.
The Board did not give staff new direction in the meeting record beyond the presentation of costs and the dismissal filing noted by Administrator Witt.