City Officials Legal Handbook

Some city officials learn the hard way that good intentions are not enough. Lawmakers and

courts have created a tangled web of dos and don'ts for elected and appointed officials.

Whether you are a mayor, legislative body member, city attorney or city manager, you have to

find a way to navigate the legal maze to serve your citizens.

Fortunately, you have the basis for what you need to know in your hands. The City Officials

Legal Handbook represents a portion of the training and education you will need to help you

understand your role as a city official. Each chapter breaks down complicated legal issues into

plain language to provide the most important information to you. While the legal Handbook

is not intended as legal advice or as a substitute for consultations with your city attorney, it is

designed to provide city officials a "source of first resort" in Kentucky municipal law.

The Handbook is updated every odd year to provide basic information about the framework

of city government and how it functions, planning and conducting meetings, budgeting,

taxes, planning and zoning, ethics and more. As with any legal publication, there is always a

chance the law will change between updates. Please work closely with your city attorney on

legal matters, and contact the KLC Member Legal Services staff with questions about the legal

information provided in this Handbook.