*** Note: After reading comments on the article below, the county wanted to clarify that the fees and costs associated with the foreclosures are recouped from the property owner.
Just four months after Guilford County hired a new county attorney, the Guilford County Board of Commissioners approved spending $222,250 for an outside law firm providing interim county attorney services – while the county simultaneously seeks approval to hire four more attorneys and expand its legal department budget by more than $1 million.
The Board of Commissioners approved the contract amendment at its Thursday evening, June 4 meeting.
The amendment increased a contract with Teague Campbell Dennis & Gorham LLP from $185,250 to an amount up to $222,250. County documents state that the firm has been providing legal services to Guilford County, including interim county attorney services.
The Rhino Times asked the county why the department was contracting out for interim county attorney services after the county hired Carolyn Thompson as county attorney.
In October 2025, former County Attorney Andrea Leslie-Fite left Guilford County to become the city attorney for Charlotte. Former Interim County Attorney Matt Mason returned to help lead the office during the transition.
At the start of February, Thompson officially took over as county attorney.
According to Guilford County Communications and PR Director Linda McElroy, the outside legal work is part of wrapping up that transition.
“During the transition, the County contracted an interim attorney, who has served in that role until the County’s new hire on February 1, 2026,” McElroy said in an email. “The interim attorney remains staffed on a part-time basis to represent the County’s interests and to close out pending matters during the transition. The work is anticipated to end in July 2026.”
While that transition work is continuing, Guilford County Manager Victor Isler is asking the board for a significant expansion of the County Attorney’s Office.
According to Isler’s proposed fiscal year 2026-2027 budget, the legal department’s total budget would increase from $5.24 million in the current adopted budget to $6.32 million for the fiscal year that starts on July 1. County-funded spending would increase from $5.22 million to $6.29 million.
The proposal would add four new deputy county attorney positions at a cost of $585,872 a year.
If the commissioners approve the expansion, the county’s attorney’s office would grow from 32 full-time positions to 36. Budget documents show that the department currently includes 24 attorney positions, six legal support positions and six Recovery Court positions. The addition would effectively increase the county’s attorney ranks from 24 to 28 lawyers. [Correction: The Rhino Times misread the Budget and the Attorney’s Office has 15 attorneys. Four more would make that number 19.]
So, the obvious question is: Why does the county suddenly need four more attorneys?
County officials say the answer is the amount of money the county is having to spend on outside legal services.
According to McElroy, Guilford County spent $652,640 on outside legal work during fiscal year 2025. Through part of fiscal year 2026, spending had already reached $866,515 so far this fiscal year.
Those numbers include legal work performed for various county departments, not just the County Attorney’s Office.
McElroy added that tax foreclosure expenses make up the largest category of outside legal spending.
Guilford County officials say the new attorneys would allow more legal work to be handled in-house.
“The four new recommended positions will cover matters typically handled by outside counsel such as workers’ compensation litigation, federal civil litigation, employment litigation, state appellate court litigation, and planning and development matters,” McElroy said.
The manager’s budget proposal makes a similar argument, stating that the county currently relies on third-party legal providers to manage part of its workload and that the new attorneys should eventually reduce operating expenses. The budget proposal states that the new positions will primarily focus on contract review, planning and development matters, real estate issues including title examinations, tax matters and employment law.
County leaders contend that spending more now on in-house attorneys will save money later by reducing the need for outside counsel.
More BS and wasted tax dollars. Already have my wager on the new hires.
The Guilford County Blood Bank…aka tax payers…December 16, 1773
“ McElroy added that tax foreclosure expenses make up the largest category of outside legal spending”
And this is guaranteed to increase in proportion to the tax increases they’re about to put in place.
More word salad to increase spending.
Don’t worry Guilford county would just raise our taxes again to pay for it. All I want is more money they never cut back on anything. I think it’s time for every one of them to go.
If they weren’t organized in such criminal b******* activities they wouldn’t need all these lawyers. Guilford county is the most corrupt county in the whole state I believe. All of government in North Carolina needs to be restructured
Sounds like to me the legal services department of county is gearing up for a big increase in foreclosures because of the tax increase. By the way the numbers don’t add up either as I’m sure the figures for salaries don’t include the loaded cost with insurance, retirement and bonus cost. If it does adding 4 new lawyers for $146,000 seems high to me. Can’t you get new grads for a lot less money??? We don’t have managers in our government anymore we have spenders.
Same thought I had Dave. Over the next couple years they anticipate tax foreclosure activity to increase probably about the same 50 percent as the valuation increase. Just getting the staff in place to get it moving.
County increasing from 32 to 36 attorneys is outrageous. I filed public record request March 2025 and received minimum information. I can tell them where to go for the information–how they spend/waste our money is not “rocket science.” Who on county commissioners wants to withheld as much as possible and drive up legal costs? We never see “discussion” and maybe public discussion would be helpful. Sounds like county is going to pay $6.6 million for water tower for summerfield FOR FIRE SUPPRESSION — but Summerfield FIRE is not a partner or on that project.
County wants to reward procrastination–very expensive.
County commissioners want to talk through attorneys for everything? I can show them how to comply with federal, state and local financial laws and save them $6.6 million. When county attorneys are larger than any sports team in town–there is a problem$$$. I expect fiscal responsibility from local government–I guess too much to ask for.
If they replied to Public Record Requests I would show them how to save money on lawyer bills.
They need more attys to defend their government.
ditto. take a guvmnt job lose voting rights because their every vote is in their vested interest for > pay >rank <responsibility
Laziness is the reason the county legal department wants to hire more attorneys. With AI and the Internet, more and more functions of a legal department are performed electronically, called E-file, and many are performed by paralegals and legal assistants. Gone are the days when a person had to physically file payers. In fact, papers are required to be Efiled by attorneys in Guilford County. The NC Attorney General’s office is a resource available to county attorneys. Electronic legal research is a click away courtesy of Westlaw, which charges for access but does not require health insurance or vacation days. No more legal books to ponder over, which makes one wonder why legal books still line the bookshelves of attorneys’ offices; probably more for the benefit of a facade that legal work requires hours and hours of research, which no longer does.
Money spent on outside services? That won’t stop; may slow a little but won’t stop. Hiring more attorneys is laziness on steroids. Paralegals can ease administrative tasks in court once the purview of attorneys. So, there is less need for salary-sucking attorneys.
Attorneys’ workload cannot be measured by caseload, since some cases can be handled by paralegals or others. Working as a sole proprietor is mentally hard work. So, I suspect that lawyers needing a steady paycheck with benefits have solicited the county attorney for a job. I also suspect that waiting for the “right time” to make the request to Skip Alston for four more attorneys has been in the works for a while. Make no mistake, the attorneys have already been chosen, no interview needed.
Why the he!! does Guilford County need this many attorneys. The City of Greensboro only has 8 attorneys, 5 paralegals and 1 legal assistant.
Rebel and Tax Payers, aka The Blood Bank of the Fiefdom of Guilford County
“He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harrass our people, and eat out their substance.”
December 16th, 1773
Because the county legal department is filled with lazy employees. What criteria did the county attorney use to decide four (4) more attorneys are needed?
What I’ve been told is that it was skips idea.
If true, then look for the four (4) attorneys to be Skippy-friendly. It is probable that what Skippy and the legal department really want is two (2) attorneys. Four is used to test the waters with voters. If pushback from voters, the number will be reduced to two, which was what Skippy and the county legal department wanted all along making two more acceptable to voters and appear that Skippy and the legal department are responsive to voters. That’s how the game is played. Remember the City of Greensboro’s legal department’s shenanigans when the city attorney at the time was working on a noncity case(s?). The city “retired” him without firing him, which should have happened because his activity was in violation of his contract.
The number of attorneys hired does not negate what I wrote above. The attorneys hired need a steady paycheck with benefits and are friends with whomever makes the decision. Remember, property taxpayers are paying the salaries. Skippy is running the county like money grows on trees.
i could use a few more attorneys . . . are they anchor, sail mast keel kitchen rigging . . . barnacles