HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif.—The Huntington Beach City Council will consider hiring an outside legal firm Dec. 21 following disagreements with the city’s elected attorney, who says the move is illegal. City Attorney Michael Gates said according to the city’s charter, which is essentially its constitution, it is illegal for the council to hire outside legal help without the elected city attorney’s direct authorization. “It’s a blatant violation of the city charter and it really is an affront to the way our government is set up,” Gates told The Epoch Times. “The people in the city—by adopting the charter and ratifying it lots of times over the years—have said ‘we want to pick the lawyer for the city’ and thereby deprives city council from choosing its own lawyer.” The motion—brought forward by Mayor Barbara Delgleize, Mayor Pro Tem Mike Posey, and Councilman Dan Kalmick—claimed there have been “multiple circumstances” over the years …