Mayor Butch Berry informed council on Monday that after advertising the city attorney position, no applications had been turned in. He presented council with two ordinances that divvy the duties of being the city’s prosecuting attorney and the civil duties being separate positions until elections.
Berry told council that attorney Clint Scheel of Scheel Law Office in Berryville was willing to serve as prosecuting attorney of the city but was unwilling to handle civil duties that include attending council meetings. Berry said he had spoken with attorney Forrest Jacobi and that he was willing to handle the civil duties.
The ordinances change the position in that they are appointed rather than elected, and those appointed do not need to live within city boundaries and that if no resident attorney runs for the office, the positions shall remain as such elections. Ords. 2322 and 2323 both passed first and second reading with unanimous votes with the prosecuting attorney receiving $1,700 and the city attorney will receive $1,800 monthly.