Opinion No.

The Honorable Mike Hathorn State Representative P.O. Box 1406 Huntsville, AR 72740-1406

Dear Representative Hathorn:

I am writing in response to your request for an opinion on the following question, which you have asked on behalf of fire fighters:

Is it permissible for a City, with a City Manager form of government, to utilize an outside party (mediator) to assist in resolving grievance issues so long as the outside party is used only for the purpose of review of fact and testimony and then making a non-binding recommendation of findings to the governing body of the City or the City Manager?

RESP…