LA MESA, Calif. -- A San Luis Obispo consulting firm has been hired to investigate whether La Mesa police gave Mayor Art Madrid special treatment when he was found apparently drunk in public and given a ride home, it was reported Wednesday.

The city of La Mesa hired James Gardiner Associates at a cost not to exceed $7,500 to file a report about the Feb. 20 incident within 30 days, according to The San Diego Union-Tribune.

Madrid, 73, was found lying on the ground next to his sports utility vehicle about a block from his home after a night of drinking with a city government colleague, 34-year-old Trisha Turner. Police gave both a ride to Madrid's home, spurring heated debates and calls for Madrid's resignation.

"For those people in the community that had some concerns about the police department, I hope this would address those concerns and restore confidence," La Mesa Police Chief Alan Lanning told the Union-Tribune. Lanning has previously said that, under the same circumstances, his officers would have done the same for anyone.

Turner, who was found slumped behind the SUV's steering wheel, has since learned she will face drunken driving charges though neither she nor Madrid were given a sobriety test. She is scheduled to be arraigned on April 10 in El Cajon Superior Court.

La Mesa City Manager Sandy Kerl said James Gardiner Associates will be paid from a $50,000 contingency fund.