Seven firms have submitted bids for the Sandy Springs city attorney contract, which is opening for the first time in the city’s history.

Firms that submitted bids by the March 22 deadline were: Burr & Forman and Riley McLendon, in a joint bid; Carol Clark Law; Freeman Mathis & Gary; Hall Booth Smith; O’Daniel McDonald; and Turner & Ross.

The city attorney contract is currently worth more than $540,000 a year. It is split between Riley McLendon currently providing the city’s legal staff and Wendell Willard serving in the mayor-appointed city attorney position.

Willard, who is also a longtime state representative, is set to retire this summer, causing the city to open up bidding. The aim is to have a new contract in place by around May 1, though that timeline is flexible.

Two of the firms bidding have partners who are former members of the City Council: Chip Collins at Burr & Forman and Graham McDonald at O’Daniel McDonald.

The city held a previous round of bidding that drew five bids from six firms, but reopened the bidding out of concern there wasn’t enough competition. The firms that stayed in, dropped out or submitted for the first time are as follows:

Rebidding

Burr & Forman and Riley McLendon; Hall Booth Smith; O’Daniel McDonald

New bidders

Carol Clark Law; Freeman Mathis & Gary; Turner & Ross

Dropped out

Baker Donelson; Patrick G. Longhi

John Ruch is an Atlanta-based journalist. Previously, he was Managing Editor of Reporter Newspapers.

One reply on “Seven firms bid for Sandy Springs city attorney contract”

  1. Since the Mayor makes the decision, current or former city councilmen should be barred from the position. This might inhibit future council members from supporting idiotic mayoral decisions( Think: Paul) in hopes of receiving contract awards in the future……anything else to keep Collins from slithering back to work for Sandy Springs..??

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