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Council weighs cost of in-house city attorney against contracted firm
Summary
Council members debated moving from outside counsel to an in-house city attorney, with staff estimating comparable annual costs of roughly $200,000 and noting outside firms provide specialized support the city would still need.
Council members raised whether the city should hire an in-house attorney rather than continue with its current contracted firm. One council member asked when the city would need an in-house general counsel; staff and colleagues discussed practical and financial tradeoffs.
A staff member told the council that hiring a dedicated attorney could cost "anywhere from $15 to $25,000 a month," while annual contracted legal fees have averaged roughly "$199,000 to $2.26 a year" (transcript phrasing) depending on work volume. Staff noted advantages of the large contracted firm include access to specialists (tax, environment, real estate) and the difficulty of finding an attorney who will serve only one municipality. The discussion ended with council members asking staff to monitor legal spending and return with options rather than taking immediate action.
