The financial impact of a year’s worth of unexpected and protracted legal issues is making itself evident in the city of Prairie Village’s coffers.
The Prairie Village City Council on Monday approved a transfer of $135,000 from the city’s general contingency fund to cover the amount in legal fees the city has spent in excess of 2013’s budgeted $115,000.
Legal issues including the Mission Valley special use permit application, councilor David Morrison’s ethics violation and subsequent ouster, the city’s defense of its ban on openly carried weapons, and the franchise/utility agreement with Google Fiber pushed year-to-date legal expenses to $250,000.
The Mission Valley/Mission Chateau issue was far and away the largest legal line item for the city, costing taxpayers $67,443. The open carry issue cost an additional $30,510.
Legal work associated with David Morrison’s ethics violation totals $12,642.50.
