A study out of Jefferson County, Alabama reports that legal fees have proven to be a “major expense” for its taxpayers. The study, released by Commissioner George Brown, shows that the county spent approximately $30 million on legal costs and fees over the last 5 years. Fifty different law firms have billed the county during this time period.
Sadly, the legal troubles for Jefferson County are only getting worse. The county is incurring legal fees for bankruptcy which will cost taxpayers $1 million per month. Many of these taxpayers are actually being laid off due to the county’s economic struggles. Commissioner Bowman is disturbed by the study’s findings, stating “all of this at a time when we are saying to employees ‘we don’t have the money for you. We cannot afford your service’.” The President of the Commission, David Carrington, however, is more optimistic. He believes the 50 law firms and exorbitant legal fees have actually saved the county millions and calls the costs “a good investment for taxpayers.”
