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GREENSBORO — When she retired as city attorney in November, Linda Miles signed a contract to work up to 1,000 hours at City Hall this year.

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As of today, it's not clear whether that is going to happen.

On Wednesday, Councilman Zack Matheny said he would ask the City Council Tuesday night to vote to stop Miles' return. Instead of paying Miles, he said, the city manager needs to get busy finding her replacement.

But on Thursday, Matheny said a motion might not be necessary. City Manager Mitchell Johnson was moving faster than expected on finding Miles' replacement, he said.

It's possible that if Johnson moves quickly enough, it would negate the reason for needing Miles in the first place.

Matheny also said he doesn't know the specifics of Miles' contract.

"I don't think our head city attorney should be operating on a contract basis," he said.

Yet Matheny's original plan — making a formal motion to prevent Miles' return — has the support of council members Sandra Anderson Groat, Mike Barber, Mary Rakestraw and Trudy Wade.

That would give Matheny's motion, if necessary, five votes. But at the very least, it signals dissatisfaction with Miles and with Johnson's decision to bring her back.

"Yes, I can understand plenty of reasons" for blocking Miles' return, said Groat, noting that Miles' contract allows her to represent other parties, as long as it doesn't conflict with city business.

"I really think that the manager needs complete control over the city attorney," Groat said.

Miles, who was working at City Hall on Thursday, said she wasn't aware of Matheny's plan. She said Johnson had asked her when she retired to help develop the staff and maintain continuity until he hired a new city attorney. She said that's all she knows and declined to comment further.

On Nov. 21, Miles announced her retirement after eight years as city attorney. She signed a contract Nov. 16 that lets her to work up to 1,000 hours for the city in 2008.

She earns $91.50 an hour, or up to $91,500 for about 24 weeks of work.

Miles, who worked in the city's legal department for 30 years, most recently led the response to the legal actions and suits that popped up during recent problems within the Greensboro Police Department.

Some in the community have criticized how she handled those issues, saying she had a vendetta against former police Chief David Wray — something Miles has vehemently denied.

Just how the council could go about rescinding Miles' contract isn't clear. The three-page document, a public record, says the city or Miles can cancel the contract with 60 days' notice.

The contract also says "the actual hours and days to be worked will be determined by the city manager."

Acting City Attorney Becky Jo Peterson-Buie said Thursday that Miles would need to work while a potential 60-day notice was in effect. The city is required by law to have a chief attorney, Peterson-Buie said.

"It's not an option to give her zero hours" during that period, Peterson-Buie said.

Councilman Robbie Perkins was caught off-guard by Matheny's public announcement of his plan. Perkins said what was a "personnel issue is now political."

"I thought that was stuff we talked about behind the scenes," Perkins said. "I didn't think it was something to bring to the forefront without talking to the (city) manager. You can't run an organization based on what looks good in the newspaper."

He said Miles has years of experience monitoring state government issues and General Assembly bills that impact Greensboro.

"I would hate to see the city without adequate representation for a six-month period of time, particularly with the legislature in session," he said. "That is a huge part of what she's done."

Contact Margaret Moffett Banks at 373-7031 or margaret.banks@news-record.com