RFP - professional legal services - city attorney

The City of St. Marys, Georgia is soliciting proposals from legal firms or qualified individuals to provide contracted City Attorney services through this Request for Proposals (RFP). The successful respondent must designate a primary City Attorney with expertise in general municipal law, zoning and land use law, personnel and human resources law, contracts, and other matters common to local government in Georgia. Deliverables include comprehensive general legal services encompassing legislative work for City Council meetings, preparation and review of ordinances and resolutions, legal opinions, contract negotiation and preparation, litigation representation, real estate matters, and attendance at all regular and special City Council, Planning Commission, and Board of Appeals meetings. Minimum qualifications require at least ten years of experience representing Georgia municipalities and active licensure in good standing with the State Bar of Georgia. Proposals must include employment history for the designated City Attorney and supplemental staff, detailed qualifications with legal education and municipal law experience, hourly rates for lead counsel, other attorneys, and staff, evidence of Commercial General Liability insurance with $1,000,000 per occurrence and $2,000,000 aggregate coverage, and a list of all current public clients. The City will evaluate proposals based on qualifications, familiarity with municipal law, demonstrated expertise, range of services, professional reputation, local government experience of the designated attorney, total projected cost, accessibility to the city, and responsiveness to the RFP, with preferences given to bidders with specific local government experience and lower projected costs. Sealed proposals containing one original and two printed copies plus one electronic copy must be submitted to the City of St. Marys, Attn: Sarah Lee, 418 Osborne Street, St. Marys, GA 31558 by March 23, 2026, at 3:00 PM EST, with evaluation occurring March 24 through April 3, 2026, and anticipated City Council selection on April 6, 2026.

No specific set-aside designations or restrictions limiting organizational types are identified in the RFP documentation. All proposals remain valid for ninety days from submission and are subject to the Georgia Open Records Act. Respondents must comply with O.C.G.A. 13-10-91 E-Verify requirements, verifying participation in federal work authorization programs. No incumbent vendors, current contractors, or existing infrastructure integration requirements are referenced in the available documentation. No specific award value or budget range is provided in the RFP materials, with compensation instead structured through negotiated hourly rates for various service categories as proposed by respondents.