Law firm's billing riles Portage pols
May 16, 2016
Amy Lavalley
Post-Tribune
http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/post-tribune/news/ct-ptb-portage-legal-fees-billing-st-0517-20160516-story.html
The city of Portage is being asked to cover almost $1,600 in legal fees for the work of a Chicago law firm to access emails and texts between members of the Porter County Council and Board of Commissioners.
"I'm appalled that taxpayer money was used for trying to check the emails of the county commissioners and the council. I was shocked at that. That isn't how we spend tax dollars," said Councilwoman Sue Lynch, D-at large, adding invoices go through the city's Board of Works.
A May 10 invoice from the Chicago office of Bingham Greenebaum Doll and addressed to the office of Mayor James Snyder details legal expenses from April 18 to April 29 totaling $1,562.09. The invoice includes $795 for three hours of work for "research and analysis of powers of County Commissioners and County Council."
Snyder did not respond to requests for comment via email and telephone, but two members of the City Council were not happy that the city was being billed for the legal work.
Lynch called the legal bill "irresponsible spending. There's no basis to be charging the taxpayers to spy on the county commissioners' emails."
She questioned the purpose of the records request, and said she didn't know if the State Board of Accounts, which audits the city's spending, would find the transaction justifiable.
"I think it's kind of immature of the mayor to go to that length. We have other business in the city that's more important than that," she said.
Councilman Collin Czilli, D-5th, hadn't seen the invoice but was familiar with the matter, and said it concerned him.
"To me, it's not a city matter and the city shouldn't be paying for it," he said. "It's not something the city or any city entity should be paying for."
The press release, signed by all 10 members of the county's two elected bodies, came out on April 8 as a response to remarks made by Snyder about the county's finances. The Post-Tribune published the release as a letter to the editor on April 10.
County officials received a public records request from Bingham Greenebaum Doll in late April for any emails and texts between commissioners and council members concerning Portage's wheel tax and the creation of the release put together by the two bodies, said Scott McClure, the county's attorney.
"There's no explanation of why they want it, which is not required," McClure said, adding he didn't think all of the requested information was subject to the state's Access to Public Records Act.
Members of the council and the commissioners discussed putting out the press release during a joint public meeting on April 5 to discuss the county's foundation for handling the proceeds from the sale of the county hospital.
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