ST. LOUIS - St. Louis Mayor Cara Spencer called for caution in selecting the Board’s next attorney following Attorney Graville’s resignation, saying taxpayers have paid more than $1.2 million to a county law firm to fight the city.
In a statement regarding the resignation, Spencer criticized the legal spending and urged her fellow commissioners to choose an attorney who would not treat St. Louis as an adversary.
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“For more than a year, St. Louis taxpayers have paid a county law firm to fight against the very city that pays its bills,” Spencer said. “Today that tab stands at over $1.2M.”
Spencer said the money could have funded officers, 911 call-takers, recreation centers and street repairs. She also criticized the contract underlying the legal work.
“Instead it paid for legal strategy that was unsurprisingly dubious, given it was built upon a contract structured to reward conflict,” she said.
The statement did not provide a reason for Graville’s resignation or say when it took effect.
“This moment should be a turning point,” Spencer said. “The Board’s next attorney must not see the City of St. Louis as an adversary to be defeated. I urge my fellow commissioners to proceed with caution. We cannot afford another year like this one.”
