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Council debates supervision, structure for proposed staff attorney role
Summary
City staff proposed a five‑function staff attorney (city attorney support, risk management, court liaison, general assembly liaison and departmental legal counsel). Council members questioned reporting lines and whether the attorney should be supervised and hired/fired by the city attorney or the city manager.
Staff outlined a hybrid staff attorney position that would support the city attorney, centralize risk management, serve as a court liaison, liaison to the General Assembly, and provide departmental legal counsel. Agency official (speaker 12) said the role could reduce the city’s insurance costs by an estimated $140,000–$200,000 a year by lowering the mod rate and cutting outside legal expenditures.
Several council members (speaker 9 in particular) pushed for the staff attorney to report to the city attorney, raising concerns that hiring/firing by the city manager could undermine the legal independence of the attorney's office. Speaker 9 said such bifurcation "can produce a conflict" and argued for direct reporting to maintain independence. Staff responded that many comparable municipalities centralize supervision under the city attorney but that council direction would determine the final reporting model; staff committed to researching charter and policy steps and returning with options and a recommended administrative approach.
Next steps: staff will compile comparative structures from peer cities, identify any charter or policy changes required, and report back to council with proposed language and a recruitment timeline if council approves proceeding.
