Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Procurement topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Council questions $70,000 campaign-finance consultant as part of budget pitches
Summary
Council members expressed skepticism about spending roughly $70,000 on a campaign-finance consultant, suggesting in-house alternatives and asking for clearer scope and a public-engagement cost breakdown before committing.
Several council members questioned a proposed $70,000 campaign-finance consultant fee included as a 2-minute-pitch item. "That's a year salary, $70,000, to make some suggestions to the ordinance. Is that correct? That seems out of whack to me," one council member asked during the session. Staff replied that the consultant's scope would include public meetings and outreach, not just written recommendations, and estimated the public-engagement portion could range in the tens of thousands of dollars depending on desired outreach.
Some councilors suggested attempting more in-house work for the engagement component to reduce cost, while acknowledging staff concerns about in-house expertise. Council asked staff to provide a more detailed breakout of consultant fees versus public-engagement costs before deciding whether to fund the item.
