Appoint Amy Ackerman as Town Attorney - YES

The Town Attorney is one of the most critical positions on the Town staff and, along with the Town Manager, is one of just two employees that are hired by and report directly to the Town Council. The Town Attorney is responsible for providing the Town Council and staff with legal advice, crafting ordinances and resolutions, and litigation.

When our prior Town Attorney left her position with the Town last October (on good terms, I'm pleased to say), our Assistant Town Attorney at the time, Amy Ackerman, became Interim Town Attorney, while the Town Council strategized on how to fill the role on a permanent basis.

The Council decided to form a sub-committee of two councilmembers with subject matter expertise (including Councilmember Leila Mongan, herself an attorney) to evaluate potential candidates and paths forward, and ultimately, the subcommittee recommended appointing Amy as Town Attorney.

Having worked with Amy for a number of years prior to her appointment, in her role as Assistant Town Attorney, I was impressed with both her professionalism and sharp competence, as well as her law firm's deep bench of additional resources on call, should the Town ever need them. As a lawyer, Amy always errs on the side of caution, which I credit with helping keep the Town—and, by extension, our taxpayers—out of court, and I was happy to vote for her appointment.

Per Corte Madera's contract with Amy's law firm, Renne Public Law Group, we pay $305/hour for "basic services" (i.e. attendance at Town Council meetings and crafting ordinances), $335/hour for "specialized services" (i.e. litigation and labor negotiations), and $375/hour for any legal fees to the Town that are reimbursed by outside parties.