Salina Moves To In-House City Attorney, Commission Approves Three Ordinance/Resolution Changes (5-0)

Salina, KS — The Salina City Commission on Monday voted 5–0 to begin transitioning the city’s legal services from an outside contract to an in-house model. Commissioners approved three items needed to make the change: two ordinances (No. 25-11258 and 25-11259) and a resolution (No. 25-8315) that update the city code and the 2026 staffing table.

Here are the facts from the meeting and staff materials.

What the commission approved

Ordinance 25-11258 — amends Salina Code section 2.51 to remove the city attorney, assistant city attorneys and the municipal court judge from the list of positions exempted from the classified service. That change allows the city attorney role to be a classified, budgeted staff position managed through Human Resources.
Ordinance 25-11259 — repeals Division Two of Article Five, Chapter Two of the Salina Code, which currently defines qualifications and duties for the city law department. Repeal clears statutory-style language so the city can manage the attorney position through its standard classification and budgeting processes.
Resolution 25-8315 — amends the 2026 staffing table and the 2026 position classification and salary schedule to add a classified City Attorney position. The resolution places the job at pay grade E87, with a salary range shown in the staff materials as $122,000 minimum to $195,000 maximum, and repeals Resolution 25-8307.

Background and rationale

Since 1986 the city has contracted legal services through the firm Clark, Mize & Linville (CML), which designated Greg Bankson as the city’s attorney under that agreement. Bankson has indicated he will step back from his lead role with the firm in its work for the city. He is not retiring from law practice but will reduce his city responsibilities.
The current CML agreement includes a retainer covering meeting preparation and attendance at City Commission meetings, weekly staff/agenda meetings, and 250 hours of legal consultation; additional work has been billed hourly under the contract.
City staff conducted a survey of comparable cities and reported that most communities the size of Salina maintain an in-house city attorney. Based on that review and discussions with CML, staff recommended a hybrid model: a full-time, classified city attorney to perform day-to-day municipal legal work, with CML (and other outside counsel) retained for specialized or overflow services.

Budget and staffing

The city’s Legal Services budget for 2026 is approximately $595,000, a fund that currently covers outside counsel, bond counsel and other specialized legal costs. Staff advised the commission that the existing budget can support an in-house city attorney along with contracted specialty services.
Staff identified the proposed pay grade (E87) as the top tier of the classified pay scale and noted it is one step above the deputy city manager pay grade. City leaders said they believe the range is competitive with markets used for comparison, but that final recruiting outcomes will determine whether adjustments are needed.

Qualifications, recruitment and next steps

A position description and recommended qualifications were included with the staff report. City staff stated a preference for candidates with municipal or local government legal experience, and said the city would consult resources such as the Kansas City Attorneys Association during recruitment.
If the ordinances and resolution are adopted, staff said they expect to post the job and begin recruitment within the next few weeks, working through Human Resources.

Continued relationship with outside counsel

The city plans to maintain a working relationship with Clark, Mize & Linville for specialized legal services beyond the scope of in-house counsel, including complex agreements, personnel matters and bond work. City leaders indicated the firm has several attorneys with specialty experience the city expects to call on as needed.

Public record and comment

The meeting record shows commissioners asked about competencies, pay competitiveness and the practical logistics of hiring in-house counsel. Commissioners and staff discussed the historical use of outside counsel, the increased legal workload over time, and how the new classified position would be managed through the city’s organizational and budget processes.
Greg Bankson addressed the commission and expressed appreciation for the opportunity to serve the city; he said his firm would continue to support the city and assist with a smooth transition.

Outcome: All three measures passed unanimously, 5–0, authorizing the code amendments and the staffing table change needed to create a classified, in-house City Attorney position and begin recruitment.