Who hires the municipal attorney?
Usually, unless municipal ordinances provide otherwise, the municipal attorney is hired by the mayor, or the municipal manager if the municipality has adopted the manager form of government. The governing body must confirm the appointment of the municipal attorney, but unless an ordinance provides otherwise, the municipal attorney serves at the pleasure of the mayor or municipal manager (AS 29.20.360.) Does the municipal attorney need to be an employee of the municipality? No. Most small municipalities consult, on an as-needed basis, with attorneys who are in private practice and are familiar with local government law. Full-time staff attorneys are usually only required in larger municipalities because the affairs of the municipality are generally more complex than smaller rural municipalities. When is a municipality required to have an attorney? A municipality needs an attorney when it has been sued, when it must file a lawsuit, when it must appear before a regulatory agency like the
