City has spent nearly $1 million on legal fees this year alone

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City has spent nearly $1 million on legal fees this year alone

Finance director: 'Our legal fees are extremely high'

Last updated 7/24/2020 at 9:52am

Beacon file photo

The City has spent $851,394.71 in legal fees as of July 20, 2020. That is more than what the City paid for legal counsel over the course of 2019.

The City of Mill Creek has spent nearly $1 million in legal expenses so far in 2020 and is expecting to spend more than $2 million in the current biennial budget.

The City has spent $851,394.77 as of July 20. The City spent $819,619.17 in the entire year of 2019.

"Our legal fees are extremely high," said Finance Director Jeff Balentine.

He sent the Beacon the cumulative legal expenses for both years. The City uses a cash basis of accounting as opposed to accrual-based accounting. Many cities in Washington use cash basis accounting because it is less complicated, and many local government...

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