Birmingham, AL – A divided Jefferson County Commission voted to pay a lobbying firm nearly $240,000 as it seeks federal aid to avoid filing what would be the largest municipal bankruptcy ever.
The commission approved the contract with the Washington lobbying firm BookHill Partners on a 3-2 vote Tuesday. It covers only 90 days worth of work, or an average of more than $2,600 a day for lobbying.
The commission president, Bettye Fine Collins, said hiring the lobbying firm was a step toward helping the county solve its $3.2 billion debt crisis linked to sewer bonds.
The county has been seeking a solution to avoid filing for bankruptcy for months, and leaders hope the lobbying deal will help them obtain federal assistance.
(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)