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Board debates hiring an in‑house town attorney amid concerns about speed and cost
Summary
A board member proposed hiring an in‑house town attorney—estimated at roughly $150,000 salary plus benefits (near $200k total)—to speed legal work and reduce reliance on outside counsel; other members asked for line‑item budget figures and cautioned about added salary and benefit costs.
One board member proposed the town consider hiring an in‑house town attorney to improve response times and reduce reliance on outside firms for day‑to‑day legal work, while keeping outside counsel for litigation.
"I would like to consider an in house town attorney," the member said, estimating a salary of about $150,000 and total compensation with benefits near $200,000. Proponents argued an in‑house attorney could provide faster turnaround on routine legal questions, personnel and contract issues, and help push projects to completion. Others asked staff to pull existing legal expense lines so the board could compare current outside‑counsel costs against the projected in‑house salary and benefits before deciding.
The board did not vote on hiring; members asked for more detailed numbers, including litigation line items and the likely net fiscal effect of moving routine work in‑house versus retaining outside firms.
