Council votes not to ratify treasurer's legal contract, directs effort to recoup payments

Council voted to direct county leadership not to ratify legal services contracts entered by Beaufort County Treasurer Maria Walls and to request the administrator make reasonable efforts to recoup any payments made by the finance office to the law firm identified in the record.

The motion, offered by a council member during caucus, stated in part: "I move that counsel not ratify the contract for legal services entered into by the Beaufort County treasurer, Maria Walls, in the case of Maria Walls versus Beaufort County, and that the administrator not authorize the payment of any legal invoices for services by the law firm of [name in record], and that the administrator make every reasonable effort to recoup any payments made by the finance office to [the firm]." The transcript renders the law-firm name as "Kozularik route" (spelled in multiple ways in the record). The council voted to approve the motion by roll call.

Council members indicated mediation had long been a preferred path for resolving the underlying dispute. The motion directs the county administrator to pursue recoupment and to withhold authorization of any invoices from the firm named in the motion; the council did not identify a specific dollar amount on the caucus record.