YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (WKBN) – Youngstown City council members say they will consider giving the city’s law department more money to get through the rest of the year.
Members of the finance committee met Tuesday. They learned the law department has already spent most of its money earmarked for outside law firms and still has tens of thousands of dollars in outstanding legal bills that will need to be paid between now and the end of 2022.
“We appreciate the council understands that we have a dilemma. We make our best guess at the beginning of the year, at budget time, about what may happen that year and sometimes we hit on the mark and sometimes we don’t,” said Law Director Jeff Limbian.
For years, the law department has routinely used outside firms to handle more complicated issues such as union contract negotiations and disputes with business developers.
Members agreed to provide an extra $150,000 for the department. That legislation could come up at the next council meeting.