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Fountain Valley council debates attorney billing, credit‑card oversight and manager signing authority
Summary
Council members pressed for clearer reporting after staff showed council travel and supply totals and noted one member’s use of city attorney time far outpaced others; Finance Director and City Attorney said invoice tracking limits precise per‑member allocations; council asked staff to return with more detailed actuals and an evaluation of P‑card counts.
Finance Director Ryan Smith told the council during a Feb. 17 study session that city council travel expenditures totaled $19,403 in fiscal year 2024–25 and about $7,600 year‑to‑date for 2025–26, and that council supplies were about $4,004.69 in FY24‑25 and $2,205 year‑to‑date.
The presentation prompted a broader debate about legal fees and procurement oversight after a council member said one colleague’s attorney billing — shown in the materials as roughly $52,000 — was about 150% more than the rest of the council combined. The member described heavy communication between that council member and the city attorney as “a distraction to staff.”
City Attorney Burns and Finance Director…
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