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General News: Mounting Legal Bills in Village
November 09, 2010
As the legal bills for the village of Cornwall-on-Hudson mount, Mayor Gross is proposing to form a committee to inspect how money is spent. In a letter to trustees, the mayor said he had received a new bill from the attorney for the village that totaled $45,000 for three months. The village has budgeted a total of $65,000 in legal fees for the year. The mayor criticized the three trustees who voted to hire the firm of Tarshis, Catania,Liberth, Mahon, and Milligram, saying the three – Mark Edsall, Jim Kane and Doug Vatter -- agreed to an open-ended agreement with the firm, then racked up unnecessary charges by doing what he called “unnecessary and unauthorized work.” In the past, the village mayor had almost exclusive interaction with the attorney for the village but the trustees have spoken several times with the new firm since it was hired in June.
In September, the three trustees signed a check to pay a $21,000 bill from the attorneys– a move, the mayor wrote, the New York State Comptroller found to be “highly irregular and likely illegal.” Mayor Gross said that from now on only he, the treasurer and the deputy treasurer will be allowed to sign checks.
At Monday’s board of trustees work session, trustee Jim Kane reminded the mayor that the attorneys have agreed to negotiate a retainer that would reduce the costs to the village. He also told the mayor that the Tarshis firm provides legal counsel to the entire board and that if the mayor chooses not to consult with him, it is his choice. “Stop saying we denied you counsel,” Kane told Mayor Gross.
Trustee Barbara Gosda brought the discussion back to the bills, saying the village cannot afford the legal fees. Mayor Gross suggested a new committee could examine each bill to determine the purpose for each itemized charge. After the meeting, trustee Vatter said that he hadn’t even seen the new bills, but said that this should be treated as routine business matter to be negotiated with the law firm and that “everything will get straightened out.”
Meanwhile, Mayor Gross is about to contract with a different law firm to see if the village can hold any one accountable for the structural deficiencies that are leading to costly repairs at the Department of Public Works building. The cost of that legal research has yet to be determined.
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