The city Law Department agreed yesterday to pay half of a contested legal bill four City Council members incurred fighting a billboard permit.
The $10,706 invoice from attorney Hugh McGough was for his representation of council President Doug Shields and colleagues Ricky Burgess, Bruce Kraus and William Peduto. The four challenged Lamar Advertising’s now-revoked permit for an electronic billboard, which was approved to go up Downtown without public hearings or votes.
Lamar then sued them, as well as Councilman Patrick Dowd, in civil court for allegedly conspiring to nix the $2 million sign.
The Law Department had argued that since there was no council vote to hire Mr. McGough, the invoice was a personal debt of the four members.
Yesterday, Solicitor George Specter wrote to Mr. Shields saying that parts of the invoice related to defending the members against Lamar’s civil lawsuit can be paid by the city.
Mr. Shields said that covered around half of the bill.
“The other half, we’re working on,” he said.
State Sen. Jim Ferlo e-mailed council, offering to pay $1,000 of the bill and to help raise money for the rest.