Legal fees for Lac La Biche County have far exceeded the $7,500 budgeted for 2025.
According to the Year-to-Date summary dated June 16, 2025 and included in the agenda package for the June 24 council meeting, Lac La Biche County spent $18,785.45 on legal fees in the first six months of 2025; 250 per cent of what was budgeted for the entire year.
In an e-mailed response to questions about the specific sources of the legal fees and anticipated future costs in 2025, Alex Fuller, a spokesperson for Lac La Biche County, said:
“If you are referring to Council’s legal expenses, all fees from legal bills relating to Council and Councillors in their elected official capacities are coded to Council’s legal budget. There have been unusual circumstances in 2025 that have resulted in higher-than-expected legal costs. It is always possible that additional legal costs will be incurred.”
In May, the Court of King’s Bench ordered Lac La Biche County to pay Mayor Paul Reutov’s legal fees when it declared he was able to remain on council after the County applied to have the mayor disqualified for $8,000 in tax arrears.
At the June 10 meeting, council passed a motion directing “legal counsel for the County to proceed with option two in relation to costs to Mayor Reutov’s legal counsel.” The specific details as to the monetary impact of option two were not provided during open session.
