The Oro Valley Town Council on Oct. 1 voted unanimously to change the town’s organizational structure so the town attorney (legal services director) will be appointed by and report to the Town Council rather than to the town manager.

Vice Mayor Barrett moved to approve ordinance O25-08 to effect the code change; Councilmember Murphy seconded. The motion, which passed 7-0, directs the human resources director and town manager to return at the council’s next regular meeting with a proposed hiring process "similar to that used for the town magistrate" that allows council members to review all applicants and a proposed job description to prepare for posting the town attorney position. Barrett said the change reflects common practice in comparable Arizona jurisdictions and offers council direct accountability and access to in-house counsel. "It's typical the structure of a town our size and larger towns as well to have the town attorney report to the town council," Barrett said.

Council discussion centered on scope of duties, continuity of legal services and potential cost savings. Councilmember Jones Ivy and others asked for clear job descriptions and a hiring process before finalizing how much work will be assigned internally versus retained by the town’s outside legal firm. Town manager and town attorney staff said the next agenda will include job descriptions and process details; the ordinance changes the appointing authority now and the council will act on hiring steps at a subsequent meeting.

Why it matters: the change alters the internal reporting relationship for in-house legal counsel, shifting appointment authority to elected officials. Supporters said it aligns Oro Valley with the majority of comparable Arizona cities and towns; opponents and some council members asked for a careful definition of roles and contingency planning to preserve institutional knowledge and to retain outside counsel for specialized work during any transition.

Votes and immediate directive: the ordinance was adopted 7-0. The motion also directed HR and the town manager to present a hiring process and job description at the next regular meeting, with council access to applicants consistent with the magistrate-model process described in the meeting.