Council approves contingent-fee agreement to pursue sales-tax refunds on public projects

The City Council approved a contingent-fee engagement agreement to pursue potential sales-and-use tax refunds related to public projects.
A staff member explained the arrangement as a no-risk effort whereby an outside firm will research whether the city or its contractors overpaid sales tax on public projects and, if recoveries are made, the firm receives a 25% contingent fee. "It's a no-risk situation for the city if they are able to, recover anything," a staff member said.
The council voted 5-0 to approve the engagement agreement. The transcript does not identify the firm by name in the recorded remarks, state the period under review, or estimate potential recoveries; those details are expected to be part of the engagement documents.