City attorney advises mayor, city council
Kelly Butler, city attorney, deals with all the city's civil and criminal matters. She is the only attorney currently working in the department.
City Attorney Kelly Butler drives 45 minutes to an hour each way to work every day.
“It’s worth every minute,” she said.
In her entire professional career, Butler said she has never worked with a group of people as professional and hard working as the city of Madison employees.
“Everyone here always works together,” Butler said. “And while not everyone always agrees with each other, they always find a way to work things out for the common good. That may sound cliché, but it’s true.”
She said working for the city is the best professional move she’s ever made.
As city attorney, Butler works close with all city employees to “protect the city of Madison’s best interest.” Anything of a legal nature comes through her office.
The city attorney is the chief legal advisor for the city of Madison. Her job responsibilities include providing legal opinions to, and representing, city employees in lawsuits filed against or on behalf of the city. She said her number one job responsibility is to advise the mayor and city council. She also works closely with city departments such as police, building, planning and revenue to write contracts and provide legal counsel to aid them in working with the public more effectively.
“I like having a hands-on approach,” Butler said. “I’m the one who’s here everyday getting to know everyone and if I keep it here then I could give them the best service possible.”
She compared her work in a legal municipal department to working in an emergency room.
“A lot of issues come in here and I get it resolved and send them back to their job,” she said. “But, sometimes it’s something that requires a specialist. That’s why you can’t have a very big ego, because there are times you have to say ‘I don’t know.’”
She said municipal law is like no other area of law, because, at her job, she can go from one meeting where she discusses planning and zoning regulations to another where she talks about road projects and search and seizures.
She attends all city-related meetings to make sure what’s in place is being properly applied.
She hails from Decatur and currently lives in Hartselle. She attended Calhoun Community College and received her undergraduate political science and law degree from the University of Alabama. She served as assistant city attorney for Decatur for nine years. She has been Madison city attorney since last November.
“Kelly brings vast experience in multiple facets of legal issues facing Municipal governments, and this has already proven to be valuable for Madison,” said Mayor Paul Finley. “We are excited to have her on our team.”
Butler said she moved to Madison because of the “dynamic” group of people in the administration and the school system.
“Madison is absolutely incredible,” she said. “Madison has a small town feel with big city benefits.”
She has a Thomas Jefferson quote on her file cabinet that reads, “The whole art of government consists in the art of being honest.” And as a business representative of the city, she said it is her duty to provide honesty and accessibility to all.
