Good On You, Edgewood Councilors
by Chuck Ring (GadAbout-BlogAlot ©2008)
Quote freely From the Article — Leave The Pseudonym Alone
The Edgewood Town Council meetings have been conspicuous with the absence of the town attorney for several meetings. This, after at least one citizen and some council members have pointed out the foolishness of not having legal representation for the governing body during quasi-judicial hearings and legislative deliberations. Ostensibly, according to the initial reason first posited by Mayor Robert Stearley, the reason the mayor did not favor the attorney’s attendance was budgetary in nature.
Mayor Stearley, during the town council meeting of Wednesday, November 5, 2008, repeated that his concern was for monetary reasons. When further discussion, initiated by Councilor Brad Hill and supported by Councilor Rita-Loy Simmons pursued the issue, the Mayor opined that when attorneys appear at town meetings they tend to act like council persons and ask too many questions. This observation or statement coming from the mayor might cause one to wonder what is underneath the surface that may have caused him to make such an unusual statement. Whatever the reason, as a former Edgewood councilman of almost nine years who sometimes did not completely concur with a town attorney’s advice, I can’t recall ever believing that any of the four I observed, rendered advice that was entirely inappropriate. One can only speculate that perhaps the mayor has not agreed with opinions or advice given by the town attorney and unilaterally decided not to have the attorney present during governing body meetings.
The mayor’s statement served to open up the issue for discussion of the matter by the remaining councilmen (Abrams and Felton) and they too, expressed their concern for the lack of an attorney during quasi-judicial hearings and legislative deliberations. The mayor, to his credit, finally acquiesced and the governing body came to the consensus that a system will be worked out to have the attorney present during the aforementioned proceedings and at other times when it is determined such attendance is necessary.
This was a wise decision on the part of the governing body. The town, whether through the mayor acting alone or with the consent of the council, should never act as its own attorney. It has been said that a person (read town) that act’s as their/its own lawyer has a fool for a client and an idiot for an attorney. Hopefully, it is settled that Edgewood doesn’t and isn’t. Sometimes we have to spend money to save money. Money spent on legal representation happens to be one of those times.
GadAbout-BlogAlot ©2008
Quote freely From the Article — Leave The Pseudonym Alone