Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Legal Services topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Amarillo council debate erupts over outside legal counsel, Hyde Kelly letter read aloud
Summary
A heated exchange over the council's use of outside counsel dominated the meeting after Mayor read a public statement from Hyde Kelly LLP; Councilman Simpson accused the firm of overspending and challenged transparency; staff presented draft protocols for how council members may seek written legal opinions and when outside counsel can be used.
A lengthy council debate over the city's relationship with outside legal counsel unfolded after the mayor read a public letter from George Hyde of Hyde Kelly LLP defending the firm's work and urging the council not to sever the relationship.
Hyde's prepared statement, read at the request of council leadership, defended the value of the firm's work, citing years of municipal practice and arguing that some of the criticism amounted to a political attack. Hyde said the firm had helped secure personnel raises and advanced programs he described as cost-saving and life-protecting, and warned that releasing confidential invoices would require a protracted Texas Public Information Act review by the Attorney General.
Councilman Tom Simpson responded that the contract has turned into "a poorly managed slush fund" with insufficient oversight, saying about half of the $186,000 billed so far was for work "that was neither brought before the public nor this Council nor directed by this Council as required by the resolution." Simpson urged clearer limits on when and how outside counsel is engaged and asked for full disclosure of the scope and authorization for projects the firm billed for.
City staff presented draft protocols intended to make written legal-opinion requests and the use of outside counsel more transparent. Under the approach discussed, a council member who wants a written legal opinion would first seek resolution with the city manager, then the city attorney; if still dissatisfied the member could request a pre-approved outside firm to provide a preliminary review (capped at a modest, pre-authorized amount) and bring any larger, follow-up work back to the full council for authorization.
The exchange also touched on attorney-client privilege and how the council should handle confidential legal communications: council members noted the charter gives the council, and in the council's absence the mayor or mayor pro tem, the authority to direct special-counsel engagements, but warned that ad hoc use of outside counsel without council awareness risks both governance problems and public distrust.
What's next: Council asked staff to formalize the draft protocol so it can be placed on a future agenda. The council also discussed a list of pre-approved outside counsel the city manager would draw on in routine cases; any request that exceeds the pre-set preliminary amount would be presented to the full council for a vote before additional tax-funded work proceeds.
Sources: Mayor reading of George Hyde's statement to council; remarks by Councilman Simpson and other council members; staff presentation of draft legal-opinion protocols.
