Regular Meeting (Howes 02282024)

Executive Summary:

Budget Concerns:
– Proposed 333% increase in the budget for legal fees is concerning
– Council’s responsibility to ensure taxpayer funds are used wisely and transparently
– Past year’s legal fee expenditures more than triple actual expenditures in 2022-23 and more than double the 2023-24 budget allocation
– President frequently consults Village Attorney by phone without providing sufficient reporting to the Council
– It is unclear how these increased legal expenditures benefit Village taxpayers

Recommendations:
– Limit the budget for legal fees to the amount allocated for 2023-24 ($3,000)
– Revisit the decision to give one Council Member full control over Village’s legal expenditures