Council to review plan for hiring Town AttorneyTwo weeks ago, the Oro Valley Town Council voted to have the Town Attorney report directly to them rather than to the Town Manager, even though the Town currently has no in-house attorney. Tomorrow night, the Council will take the next step by reviewing a proposed recruitment plan, job description, and timeline for hiring a Town Attorney. Human Resources Director Andy Votava will present the materials the Council requested when it approved the reporting change. His proposed approach is modeled after the process used when the Town hired a new magistrate in 2019.
Goal is to have position filled by February
The proposed timeline is designed to move quickly. The position will be posted on October 17, with applications due November 9. Council will review applications the following week, conduct virtual interviews in early December, and hold finalist interviews later that month. A conditional offer is planned for January 2026, with the goal of having the new Town Attorney in place by February.
There is a need to move quickly
The Town is moving quickly to fill this position following the retirements of Legal Services Director Tobin Sidles, who also served as prosecutor, and Chief Civil Deputy Joe Andrews, the Town’s civil attorney. With an active caseload and ongoing legal matters, filling these key vacancies is a priority.
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The Town currently retains outside legal counsel for Council meetings and other legal services as needed. That arrangement remains in place as the Town begins recruiting for a full-time, in-house Town Attorney. The job description for the new position assigns the same advisory role—counsel to the Council—but the recruitment materials do not explain how the two positions will relate once the new attorney is hired. It is unclear whether the outside counsel will continue in some capacity, report to the new Town Attorney, or be replaced by the in-house counsel The town paid $51,950 to Mesch, Clark, Rothschild, in calendar 2024 The Council will need to clarify that relationship to prevent overlapping authority and ensure the Town has a single, consistent source of legal guidance.
A broad professional search
Recruitment will extend well beyond Oro Valley. The position will be advertised through the State Bar of Arizona, the Arizona League of Cities and Towns, the law schools at the University of Arizona and Arizona State University, the Arizona Women Lawyers Association, and several national outlets including ICMA, SHRM, LinkedIn, and Indeed. This broad outreach is intended to attract a strong, diverse candidate pool.
The town attorney needs to be both an attorney and a manager
As the Town’s chief legal officer, the Town Attorney will also serve as Legal Services Director. In that role, the attorney will manage both the civil and criminal (prosecution) divisions of the Legal Services Department and oversee all legal actions involving the Town. The position therefore requires both legal and management expertise. According to the job description, candidates must hold a Juris Doctorate from an accredited law school, a license to practice law in Arizona, at least seven years of legal experience including municipal or public sector work, and five years of supervisory experience.
Position is already budgeted
According to staff, the Town Attorney position and recruitment costs are already covered under the current fiscal year’s budget. No additional funding is required.
What’s next
If the Council approves the recruitment plan on Wednesday, advertising will begin immediately. Applications will remain open through early November, and interviews will take place in December. This meeting marks the start of the Council’s first direct hiring of a Town Attorney under its new structure.
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