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Mayor seeks outside law firm to probe possible misuse of city funds
Summary
The mayor told the council he has expanded a review of city credit-card charges and recommended hiring Crumby Law Group LLC to conduct a comprehensive investigation; the council authorized the request by voice vote though dollar estimates and a final scope were not provided.
The mayor announced that a city review of credit-card charges and other potentially inappropriate uses of public resources, opened earlier this year, will be expanded and handled by an independent outside law firm.
"I wanna make sure it's crystal clear that this investigation started at the beginning of this year," the mayor said, and recommended retaining Crumby Law Group LLC to perform a comprehensive review and advise on potential legal action. He read the firm's lead investigator's credentials, saying Andrew Crumby "is the founder and owner of Crumby Law Group LLC" and noting prior experience with state and federal law enforcement agencies.
Why it matters: City leaders said the review aims to restore fiscal integrity and, where warranted, to recoup taxpayer funds. The mayor said the inquiry could eventually lead to a criminal investigation if evidence supports that course.
Council members pressed for scope and cost details. A committee member asked, "Are we are we talking hundreds, thousands? Hundreds of thousands?" The mayor replied that he did not have firm dollar figures at the time and described only "areas of concern" found in an initial search covering several years.
The mayor said the initial internal review covered a three-year period and would be expanded; he also noted that on-site counsel had been engaged to investigate specifics and that attorneys would handle the detailed work.
The council then approved a motion to accept the request for authorization to proceed with the outside review. The motion passed by voice vote; the transcript records no roll-call tallies or individual vote counts.
The mayor characterized the matter as one of transparency and public accountability, saying the goal is to determine whether public money was misused and to pursue recovery if appropriate. He emphasized the process was intended to be thorough rather than punitive if the facts do not support further action.
Next steps: Council authorization allows staff and counsel to proceed with the independent review. The mayor and council did not provide an estimated cost or a completion timeline in the recorded remarks.
