Request For Legal Assistance
DATE ADOPTED: 6-23-97
MINUTE BOOK: 32 PAGE 48
DATE AMENDED: 7-23-08
MINUTE BOOK: 36 PAGE 207
DATE AMENDED: 10-14-08
MINUTE BOOK: 36 PAGE
PURPOSE: To establish a County procedure in which Department Heads may request the assistance
of the County Attorney on matters that involve their department.
PROCEDURE: While we all know that the need for legal assistance seems to be part of our daily routine, we also know that the cost for this assistance is expensive. The following procedure is necessary to insure that we keep this cost under control.
With the exception of elected officials or Department Heads reporting directly to the Houston County Personnel Board, all other department heads requiring legal assistance in a non-emergency situation shall prepare a memo addressed to the County Attorney giving him all necessary facts covering who, what, where, why and how as they relate to the problem. Memo’s originating from the Road and Bridge Department must first be approved by the County Engineer. Memo’s originating from the County Administrative staff must first be approved by the Chief Administrative Officer. The memo should establish an acceptable response time so the County Attorney may properly prioritize the request. The memo should then be forwarded to the County Attorney with a copy to the Chief Administrative Officer. All memos forwarded to the attorney will be recorded in a log maintained by the Chief Administrative Officer indicating the Department Heads requested response time.
By the second Wednesday of each month, the County Attorney will provide to the Chief Administrative Officer a summary status of each open request. The summary will include the expected resolution date.
In an emergency situation, a Department Head should contact in order the following people:
- Chief Administrative Officer
- County Attorney
The Administrator will then contact the Commission Chairman and the Commissioners and any other necessary people.