Two Lansing city council members want to add a new check to the system of checks and balances.
"We're looking at another mechanism that would allow us to review and approve any types of litigation or settlement agreements, so that we're aware of what's happening" said council at-large member Carol Wood Wednesday.
After the surprise resignation and $160,000 separation agreement for former city attorney Janene McIntyre, the council is trying to make sure the Mayor doesn't give large payouts without their approval.
"This is taxpayer dollars," Wood said. "We need to be accountable for those, and this might be one of the ways that we're able to do it."
The Committee on Ways and Means reviewed a proposed ordinance Wednesday that would make it so council would have to approve any separation agreement with a pay out of more than $50,000.
"What we're looking at is how do we create a threshold of what we at city council would look at for any kind of separation or agreement," said Council President Judi Brown Clarke.
But, she doesn't think it will be easy.
"I don't think we know much more than we did when that press release went out," she said. "So we're still trying to do our due diligence in unpacking that."
She agrees with Wood that the council needs to play a role in decisions involving that much cash.
"We're are the point right now where we can be proactive and reactive," Brown Clarke said. "Reactive to what happened with the city attorney's separation agreement, and then proactive so it doesn't happen again."
The Committee on Ways and Means will meet again to discuss this matter further in two weeks.
