GLASGOW — The Glasgow City Council decided to hire Glasgow attorney Danny Basil as legal counsel for a potential lawsuit with the Glasgow Electric Plant Board.

Council member Jake Dickinson expressed a desire to hire Basil, who ran as a democrat for a Congressional representative seat that ultimately went to James Comer, R – Tompkinsville, at the council’s previous meeting.

Dickinson has long been a vocal critic of EPB’s rate structure, implemented at the start of 2016, saying its policy of charging a much higher rate during the hour of each month when demand is highest, is a burden that unfairly impacts elderly and disabled community members.

Monday night, he presented two motions, the first to seek outside legal counsel and the second to retain the services of Danny Basil with a $5,000 retainer and a maximum expenditure of $20,000.

“I just think in this particular case that we’d be better served by independent counsel,” Dickinson said.

When council member Chasity Lowery asked Dickinson if he’d consulted the Kentucky League of Cities about legal counsel, Dickinson, he hadn’t, adding that he would prefer local counsel.

When council member Patrick Gaunce, who was elected for the first time in November, asked why Dickinson wanted to hire Basil specifically instead of city attorney Rich Alexander, Dickinson said, “I think, quite frankly, Mr. Basil’s heart would be in it better than the city attorney’s.”

When Dickinson mentioned that his belief that Basil would be more passionate about representing the council in a potential lawsuit against EPB was “just a gut feeling,” Gaunce asked, “We’re running the city on gut rather than actual information?”

In early January, Dickinson asked Alexander to write three motions calling for the removal of EBP directors Norma Redford, Jeff Harned and Cheryl Ambach from office for inefficiency and/or neglect of duties.

As a result, EPB issued a letter to Alexander and mayor Dick Doty, requesting that Redford, Harned and Ambach be provided with “specific allegations of their claimed inefficiency, neglect of duty, misfeasance, nonfeasance, or malfeasance in office,” be given 15 days to respond in writing and be given separate due process hearings so they could defend themselves from any allegations.

The council voted to approve hiring outside counsel, with only Gaunce voting against the motion.

The council voted 7 to 4 to hire Basil, with council members Brad Groce, Patrick Gaunce, Chasity Lowery and James Neal voting against the measure. Council member Stacy Hammer was absent.

Neal said he voted against the measure because “we’ve got city counsel right there,” referring to Alexander.

While Gaunce was speaking to the Daily News, Lowery told him that Alexander advised them not to talk to the press.

He continued to speak, though, saying he thinks a lawsuit, which could go on for a year or two, would cost the taxpayers because the EPB’s and the city council’s legal fees would be paid for with tax dollars.

“Usually the only people who win are the lawyers,” he said. “It won’t be the people of Glasgow.”

Alexander would not comment on the issue.

— Follow Daily News reporter Jackson French on Twitter @Jackson_French or visit bgdailynews.com.