{"MatterId":14857,"MatterGuid":"32FEFFCA-A396-4EE6-A8F3-5085AACB2307","MatterLastModifiedUtc":"2026-07-27T22:35:18.63","MatterRowVersion":"AAAAAADOp6Y=","MatterFile":"O-26-29","MatterName":null,"MatterTitle":"Amending The Legal Department; City Attorney Ordinance (ROA 1994, Chapter 2, Article 7, Part 2) (Champine)","MatterTypeId":1,"MatterTypeName":"Ordinance","MatterStatusId":7,"MatterStatusName":"Failed","MatterBodyId":1,"MatterBodyName":"City Council","MatterIntroDate":"2026-05-04T00:00:00","MatterAgendaDate":"2026-05-18T00:00:00","MatterPassedDate":"2026-05-18T00:00:00","MatterEnactmentDate":null,"MatterEnactmentNumber":null,"MatterRequester":null,"MatterNotes":null,"MatterVersion":"1","MatterCost":null,"MatterText1":null,"MatterText2":null,"MatterText3":null,"MatterText4":null,"MatterText5":null,"MatterDate1":null,"MatterDate2":null,"MatterEXText1":"CC 5/18/26 (vh)\r\n\r\nBrief Summary: This bill amends the Code of Ordinances related to City Departments and Officials, specifically the provisions pertaining to the Legal Department and the City Attorney. ROA 1994, §2-7-2-1 to -5. This bill amends the section governing the authority and duties of the City Attorney to clarify the City Attorney’s relationship with and responsibilities to their clients: the City, the Mayor, and the City Council. Additionally, the bill amends the provision governing the procedures for contracting with attorneys to provide legal services to dictate procedures for when the City Council retains outside counsel. \r\n\r\nAnalysis: The bill amends ROA 1994, section 2-7-2-2, emphasizing that the City Attorney shall “abide by client decisions by client decisions concerning the objectives of representation and shall communicate and consult with their client(s) as to the means by which they are to be pursued.” This language is a reproduction of an excerpt from the Rules of Professional Conduct, governing attorney’s scope of representation and allocation of authority between a client and a lawyer. See Rule 16-102 NMRA.\r\n\r\nAdditionally, this bill provides that, in the instance that City Council requests outside counsel for litigation purposes, the City Attorney shall provide a list of qualified attorneys from which to choose. However, the City Council may ignore those attorneys and choose their own. Finally, this bill prohibits the City Attorney from terminating outside counsel representing City Council without the Council’s express consent.\r\n\r\nFiscal Impact: This bill’s fiscal impact is likely low given the bill’s focus on establishing attorney-client principles already enforced by the rules governing professional conduct and establishing a relatively small procedural change in the event City Council seeks outside counsel services. \r\n\t\r\nKey Dates: The only key date relevant to this bill is its effective date: “[t]his Ordinance takes effect five days after publication by title and general summary.”","MatterEXText2":"Julia Coulloudon/Victor Hall","MatterEXText3":null,"MatterEXText4":null,"MatterEXText5":null,"MatterEXText6":null,"MatterEXText7":null,"MatterEXText8":null,"MatterEXText9":null,"MatterEXText10":null,"MatterEXText11":null,"MatterEXDate1":null,"MatterEXDate2":null,"MatterEXDate3":null,"MatterEXDate4":null,"MatterEXDate5":null,"MatterEXDate6":null,"MatterEXDate7":null,"MatterEXDate8":null,"MatterEXDate9":null,"MatterEXDate10":null,"MatterAgiloftId":0,"MatterReference":"27","MatterRestrictViewViaWeb":false,"MatterReports":[]}