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ORANGE COCNrY <br /> BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS Action Agenda <br /> ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT Item No El <br /> Meeting Date JANUARY 15, 1985 <br /> Subject: ORANGE COUNTY LEGAL SERVICES COSTS <br /> Department: Orange County Board <br /> of Commissioners Public Hearing: Yes lNo <br /> Attachment(s): Information Contact: <br /> Yes - 3 Moses Carey/Don Willhoit <br /> 1. Chart of legal fees for Fiscal Phone Number: Extension 505 <br /> Year 1983-84 - Hillsborough - 732-8181" <br /> 2. Table XX from the Institute of Hillsborough - 732-9361 <br /> Government publication "County Durham - 688-7331 <br /> Salaries in N.C." Mebane - 227-2031 <br /> 3. Year-to-date legal fees Chapel Hill - 968-4501 <br /> Chapel Hill - 967-9251 <br /> PURPOSE: To provide cost data for staff attorney compared to current <br /> contractual costs. <br /> NEED: Orange County has primarily contracted for legal services with <br /> the firm of Coleman, Bernholz, Dickerson, Bernholz, Gledhill and <br /> Hargrave since 1974. The County has also engaged the services <br /> of other Orange County lawyers or firms for specific services <br /> during this period. <br /> The question of comparative costs of hiring in-house staff and <br /> contracting for legal services has been raised several times in <br /> the past. This analysis provides a comparison of Orange <br /> County's cost experience for legal services with that of other <br /> North Carolina counties which are involved in vigorous land use, <br /> planning and zoning activities. It also compares Orange <br /> County's actual and projected cost experience under a contracted <br /> legal services arrangement with a hypothetical scenario of <br /> expected costs if the county had hired a staff attorney <br /> beginning in July 1984. <br /> According to the Institute of Government, there are no objective <br /> criteria determining when a county has reached the point where <br /> they should hire one or more staff attorneys. Satisfaction with <br /> their legal service in meeting actual county legal needs appears <br /> to be the primary determinant of the form of legal service <br /> adopted. <br /> Orange County is seventh in rate of growth among North Carolina <br /> counties during the last ten years. This has resulted in <br /> increasing emphasis on land use controls, planning, and zoning. <br /> According to the Institute of Government, Orange County is also <br /> among the top five counties statewide in its efforts to <br /> vigorously implement these land use, planning and zoning plans. <br />