The contract could specify a number of expectations of the park district. If you are hiring an attorney to handle only specific matters, rather than acting as a general counsel, those matters should be clarified in the contract. The contract should specify the hourly rate to be charged by the attorney. Some firms charge more for the time of partners and less for associates. If a tiered structure is proposed, the contract should specify the differing rates.
Some law firms use paralegals to keep client costs down.
In such cases, a rate for paralegal time should be specified. If a park district expects that a firm will incur substantial expenses in its representation of the district, the authorized expenses should be specified in the contract. Otherwise, the contract should just authorize reasonable expenses. The park district should come to an understanding with its attorney as to the billing practices. The district might require monthly statements, with records reflecting which attorney worked on the matter and what he or she did.