Colorado Springs council discusses $137,689 for outside legal advice

Colorado Springs City Council members discussed reallocating $137,689 from the City Attorney’s Office budget to an existing account for outside legal advice to Council during an Oct. 29 review of the proposed 2027 budget. The shift would increase the account from $50,000 to $187,689, the Council’s budget-markup session shows.

The account is in the city’s General Cost section, separate from the City Attorney’s budget. Chief Financial Officer Sherry said the City Attorney’s Office would hire and oversee legal services, while the Finance Department oversees the General Cost section. City Attorney Stephanie Boster said the city charter requires her to advise both the mayor’s office and Council, and that the city—not either body individually—is her client. She said a request for outside counsel would come from a majority of the nine-member Council.

Council members raised questions about oversight and independence, including whether Council could have confidence in an attorney nominated by the mayor. Boster said she is independent under an ethics opinion and professional-conduct rules. Officials said the proposal would fund outside advice, not allow Council to hire lawyers directly or create a separate legal office.

Members also asked whether the reduction to the City Attorney’s budget could affect staffing. Sherry said positions could be affected, but did not identify a specific job that would be eliminated. Boster said a legislative-counsel position had been cut in earlier budget years and was not among the positions then being filled.

The amendment was added to the discussion spreadsheet after an informal show of thumbs. Council took no formal vote on the transfer during the Oct. 29 session, and the discussion was not final budget action.