Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Code Enforcement topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
City attorney warns code-enforcement legal fees may require $40,000–$50,000 budget amendment
Summary
City Attorney Thomas Mitchell reported multiple properties under code enforcement and said current legal budgets ($40,000 General, $40,000 Water, $13,600 Code Enforcement) and fees to date ($15,000) mean the city may need an additional $40,000–$50,000 in legal funding, requiring a budget amendment.
At the March 4 Demorest City Council meeting, City Attorney Thomas Mitchell gave a detailed code-enforcement update, listing specific properties subject to enforcement and warning that legal costs could exceed current budgets.
Mitchell reviewed addresses under code enforcement and explained the fees and court-action process. He reported the city’s legal budget lines as $40,000 for General, $40,000 for Water and $13,600 for Code Enforcement, and said legal fees to date total $15,000. Based on current and anticipated work, Mitchell told the council the legal budget would likely need to increase by approximately $40,000 to $50,000; such an increase would require a formal budget amendment.
Mayor Jerry Harkness and council members were asked to provide direction; Mitchell said the item would be discussed further at the city retreat scheduled for March 8.
What happens next: the council will consider how to handle the projected legal shortfall at the city retreat and, if directed, the city would prepare a budget amendment to increase legal appropriations.
