CRESTVIEW — The City Council agreed to retain the services of city attorney Jerry Miller until Sept. 23 while requesting qualifications for his possible replacement.
City Clerk Betsy Roy said advertising the request for qualifications, or RFQ, will cost the city between $500 and $700.
Miller said he might apply for the position now that he has separated from Pleat, Perry and Ritchie, the firm with which Crestview has a contract for municipal attorney services.
At its June 22 meeting, the council voted to not reassign the city’s contract to Miller, who entered private practice as of June 30.
On June 23, David Pleat of PPR notified City Clerk Betsy Roy that the firm would exercise its 90-day notice option to terminate its agreement with the city as it no longer had a municipal attorney on staff.
PPR then contracted with Miller to continue to represent Crestview during the 90-day period.
Monday night, the council voted 4-1 to advertise a request for qualifications for a new city attorney, with Councilman Bill Cox voting nay.
The council did not vote to reassign the contract to Miller, although he will continue to represent Crestview as PPR’s contracted attorney until the Sept. 23 expiration of PPR’s 90-day notice.
“I think the message was pretty clear,” Miller said following the meeting.
Email News Bulletin Staff Writer Brian Hughes at brianh@crestviewbulletin.com, follow him on Twitter @cnbBrian or call 850-682-6524.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Crestview to possibly seek new attorney