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Council seeks clearer tracking of outside counsel costs across departments
Summary
Council members asked corporation counsel and department directors to provide a running total of law‑firm spending and to clarify when fees are charged to departmental budgets versus corporation counsel’s special‑counsel line, with a view toward improved transparency on litigation and ongoing consulting costs.
Council members used the March 2 caucus to press for clearer accounting of outside legal fees. Several council members noted that some legal contracts and invoices appear under individual department budgets while others appear under the corporation counsel special‑counsel line, creating challenges for year‑end oversight.
Corporation counsel said current practice remains: litigation and matters requiring special counsel appear under the corporation counsel special‑counsel line, while project‑specific or ongoing departmental work is charged to the purchasing department’s budget. Counsel added that litigation costs can be difficult to forecast and thus inflate the special‑counsel totals in some years.
Council members asked directors to maintain a running total of all law‑firm spending across city departments and asked for a summary that distinguishes standard legal guidance from project‑specific or litigation matters. Staff agreed to circulate an overview of law‑firm activity and to work on a format that helps the council track costs across departments.
