Larry Karns, City Attorney, wants his contract renewed for another three years at $140,000 a year, a 10% raise. Let’s sum this up:
- 140,000.00 a year
- 12 sick days
- 20 vacation days
- 10 administrative leave days
- Health insurance
- 10% of salary match to 401 (a)
- 10% of salary to 457 Plan
- $1,000,000.00 in Liability Insurance
- $140,000.00 in Life Insurance
- 60% of salary for 120 days of disability
- All professional dues and subscriptions
- Travel and subsistence expense for professional travel, meetings and seminars
- $500 month auto allowance for city related business (driving to and from work)
- $100 a month for cell phone
NO WONDER HE WANTS TO KEEP HIS JOB.
I wouldn’t mind any of the above if we were getting a cracker-jack attorney. Mr. Karns says that he is worth every penny because he had the good sense to hire outside attorneys to go to the Appellate Court on the Sunset case after Save Our Neighborhood had won in the Circuit Court; he hired outside attorneys to help sue the citizens regarding our beach and recommended that the City sue the citizens personally, threatening to take away their homes; he got McCauley/McNamara to drop their suit (of course Greater Bay was out of the picture so their suit was dismissed voluntarily without prejudice). I will give Mr. Karns this--I always see his car in the City Hall parking lot. At least he shows up for "work."
- Render a legal opinion
- Read, prepare and analyze Contracts, Ordinances, Resolutions, Leases and give sound advice for same
- The participation in and preparation of legal cases
- Provide sound and efficient legal services to the City Commission, City Manager, Boards and all Departments
- Understand our City Charter
- Understand Federal and State laws
- Give advice BEFORE we get into trouble, not AFTER
- Answer communications from the public
IT'S NO WONDER WHY WE, THE PEOPLE, HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THIS
I am all for eliminating the position and hiring an outside attorney, when we need him, and wishing Larry Karns the best of luck.
