The County Commission on Wednesday affirmed a long-standing policy in hiring of outside attorneys, while adding reporting requirements.
The panel did so though County Mayor Weston Wamp said no other county department is able to be exempt from the $25,000 spending limit without County Commission okay.
He said one local law firm had charged over $1 million to the county over the past three years, another over $500,000, and a third over $200,000.
County Auditor Jenneth Randall had recently released an opinion that said when the amounts went over $25,000 they should get the approval of the county mayor and the County Commission.
Commissioner Lee Helton had issues with allowing the exemption by the county attorney's office and not other offices.
Commissioner Jeff Eversole said the attorney's office "should be real careful on what we send out."
County Attorney Rheubin Taylor said the long-time policy has been for the county attorney to employ outside counsel as needed, then to review the invoices and submit them to county finance for payment.
He said the outside attorneys were brought in "not because we are tired or because we want to spread the wealth." He said of the 10 cases mentioned by County Mayor Wamp that "all these cases involve conflicts." He said when a citizen sues several sheriff officers that the county cannot represent more than one.
County Attorney Taylor said the county had not lost any of the 10 cases and had gotten favorable rulings thus far.
He said the County Commission had been briefed in private legal meetings on the cases and the lawyers involved.
The resolution says the commission is to be briefed at the time of the hiring of an outside law firm and given monthly reports on the progress of the case and the money spent.
County officials said the names of the law firms referred to by County Mayor Wamp include:
Chambliss, Bahner and Stophel, P.C.
Advise Law Firm (J. Micah Guster III)
Amicus Inc.
Tidwell & Associates