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Levy County hires Grey Robinson as county attorney under $35,000/month plan, to be reviewed in six months
Summary
After extended discussion about billing caps, special assignments and workflow, the Levy County Board of County Commissioners approved a contract structure with Grey Robinson at an "unlimited" flat fee of $35,000 per month (special assignments billed hourly) to begin after the current interim period; the board set a six-month review.
The Levy County Board of County Commissioners voted to engage the law firm Grey Robinson to serve as county attorney under an "unlimited" monthly flat-fee arrangement at $35,000 per month, with the engagement to begin after the conclusion of the board interim contract period and a scheduled six-month review.
Representatives from Grey Robinson attended and described two options in their proposal: a capped general-counsel option (50 hours per month) at a lower flat fee and an uncapped "unlimited" option that covers routine general-counsel work without a monthly cap; the firm said large or specialized assignments (for example litigation, full code rewrites or major impact-fee studies) would be billed separately as "special assignments" at hourly rates disclosed in the proposal. "If you go over that amount of 50 hours...we would work with you and with the county manager to decide if we will continue work on an hourly basis that week beyond the 50-hour cap," Grey Robinson explained; under the unlimited option, routine calls, emails and attendance at county meetings are covered within the flat fee.
Commissioners and members of the public questioned whether unlimited billing was necessary and how staff would route requests to control costs. County Manager Mary Ellen Hart said staff already provides weekly priority lists to the firm and is coordinating workflow; public commenter Linda Cooper pressed for clearer controls and a published workflow so staff requests are screened and not sent to attorneys "willy-nilly."
Commissioner Charlie Kennedy moved to accept the unlimited $35,000-per-month engagement, amended to specify a six-month contract to begin after the interim period (the county's interim engagement remains in force until its scheduled end), with a formal reevaluation at the six-month mark; the motion was seconded and approved by the board.
What happens next: the firm will begin the permanent engagement at the conclusion of the interim contract period; staff and firm agreed to continue reporting weekly assignments and hours, to prioritize work and to notify the board when an item will move to a special-assignment (hourly) billing basis.
