Legal fees for seven council members who were investigated by the Ontario ombudsman after they met for lunch at Billy T's Tap and Grill topped $97,000, but who should foot the bill?

A day after the total cost was made public, many are asking if the mayor and six councillors who met back in February 2013 should repay the lawyers' fees they racked up during the investigation.

For his part, Ward 4 Councillor Stephen Orser, who was at the meeting, admits Londoners have a right to be angry.

"I wish to apologize to the citizens of the City London, that I started this process for lawyers and that it has come to this."

Orser tells CTV News he never thought the legal bill charged to taxpayers would reach $97,000.

Orser, along with Mayor Joe Fontana and councillors Bud Polhill, Joe Swan, Dale Henderson, Paul Van Meerbergen and Sandy White were represented by Toronto-based lawyers during the ombudsman's investigation.

In June, after a mostly closed-door discussion council voted 10-4 to cover the legal costs.

Ward 5 Councillor Joni Baechler opposed the move and feels Orser's apology now rings hollow.

"An apology today is a little bit too late. An apology after the Harmony Buffet ombudsman's investigation would have been appropriate."

Orser, a normally outspoken councillor, struggled for words when asked the question many Londoners are thinking. Should those involved bay the money back.

"Again it's an order of council...What am I supposed to say here? I wanted to represent myself and council ordered lawyers."

If an individual councillor did want to pay back their portion of the bill, determining exactly how much they owe depends on who you think is responsible.

If you break down the $97,148 bill between the seven members of council who attended the meeting at Billy T's, each would owe $13,878.

But others argue that amount should be divided between the 10 members of council who voted in June to have city hall pick up the tab.

Orser is quick to point out he ultimately voted against charging the bill back to taxpayers and says the lesson he's learned dates back to a Saturday morning last February when he was invited to Billy T's.

"I'd stay at home with my nine-year-old daughter and I wouldn't go out to this lunch."

Baechler says there may be a lesson for council moving forward and in the event outside lawyers are hired in the future, maybe they should consider certain limits on expenses.