FISCAL YEAR

City Manager challenged her departments to cut 5% from their budgets Evaluated City Attorney’s office and budget to see whether it could be cut In evaluating also looked at how the office could run more efficiency with less in budget Looked at services being provided Looked at increase utilization by departments Found a way to provide better and efficient services with a reduced bottom line

The 2008/2009 fiscal year budget approved three attorney positions in the City Attorney’s office: City Attorney Deputy City Attorney Assistant City Attorney This resulted in lower outside counsel expenses

In Fiscal Year Budget the position of Deputy City Attorney was eliminated and the expenses for Outside Counsel rose tremendously. The budgeted amount continued to rise each year thereafter.

City Attorney Office to return to its prior staff level of three (3) attorneys. City Attorney and two (2) Assistant City Attorneys Upgrade Legal Secretary position to Paralegal Reduce the Outside Counsel expenses- the first year they would be reduced from $420,000 to $150,000, with the goal to reduce them even further the following years.

City Attorney office would be seeking an attorney with some Land Use and Transaction Experience. These are the two areas that we tend to utilize outside counsel more. This would allow for a re-organization in the office and would allow Assistant City Attorney McKenney the opportunity to focus more on the PI litigation, Forfeitures and Labor/Employment matters.

The intent is to utilize the amounts which would have been carried over from the fiscal year (in unused outside counsel fees) to finance the new staff position and salary adjustment for reclassification of Legal Secretary to Paralegal. The intra-structure is already in place so there is no substantial increase setting up office.

The proposed fiscal budget for the City Attorney’s office should result in a decrease in the over all expenses of the Office. QUESTIONS