FERGUSON, Mo. (AP) — A former top official at the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division says a lawsuit is likely unless the city of Ferguson agrees to a consent decree.

The Ferguson City Council voted 6-0 Tuesday to approve the decree, but with seven changes, some of them significant.

Samuel Bagenstos, the former No. 2 official in the Civil Rights Division, says Ferguson’s insistence on changes to the settlement probably won’t pass muster with the Justice Department. He expects city leaders to reach a settlement, rather than face huge legal fees in a court battle.

Vanita Gupta, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, expressed disappointment in the vote and said the department would take “the necessary legal actions” to ensure Ferguson’s police and court practices comply with the Constitution and federal laws.