The Morning Report
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City Councilman Tony Young is missing today’s council hearing because of a planned root canal. And Councilman Jim Madaffer is missing the meeting to attend one of his children’s sixth-grade graduation.
Regardless, the short-handed council today is scheduled to approve an additional $1.3 million in legal fees for current and former council members and former Mayor Dick Murphy in connection with the numerous investigations into City Hall politics and finances and related civil lawsuits.
The allocation would bring elected officials’ total legal fees to nearly $3.1 million, as the council previously authorized a total of $1.8 million in June 2005 and March of this year.
Pieces of the authorization will come out of the fiscal year 2006 budget, while a number of the allocations will come out of the budget for fiscal year 2007, which begins July 1.
Costs associated with legal representation and consultants working on the investigations, audits and lawsuits sapped the city’s emergency reserves last fiscal year, as more than $20 million was expended on such outside help.
The legal fees will go for lawyers representing the following: Scott Peters, who is requesting an additional $180,000; Toni Atkins, $203,000; Brian Maienschein, $260,000; Jim Madaffer, $250,000; Murphy, $190,000, Michael Zucchet, $50,000; and Ralph Inzunza, $50,000.
Check back later for the result of the vote and more details.