FY 2014 Legal Fees…Overrun again

Here we are – almost half way through our fiscal year in the Town of Monroe and surprise, surprise, we are pushing the upper limit of our legal budget once again.  As of November 15, 2013 – including encumbrances – the legal fees line item stood at $207,824.09 expended with an approved budget of $250,000 with six more months to go.

At their March 13, 2013 budget workshop for the current year’s budget then-Board of Finance (BOF) Vice Chairman and now Chairman Mike Manjos indicated how frustrated he was as he felt he was “flying blind” with regards to legal fees.  Former BOF Chairman Reed said “to overrun budget one year is bad enough but understandable, then to overrun it again and do nothing in the third year is unconscionable.”  All board members, except Mr. Quinlan, indicated $250,000 should be sufficient because once again they did not receive adequate information from the First Selectman or Town Attorney regarding budgeting and forecasting legal fees for the upcoming year and $250,000 was more than double the previous year’s budget.  We couldn’t possibly expend more than 100% more year over year on legal, could we?  Well, we are on track to do just that. Mr. Quinlan indicated he felt more comfortable with $400 – 500K – it seems Mr. Quinlan was more on target.  (All information in this paragraph taken from March 13, 2013 BOF budget workshop minutes, page 4).

Now-Vice Chairman of the Town Council Frank Lieto made an argument in one of the Town Council budget workshops that if we put more money in the legal budget, then potential litigants against the town would see that we have money to spend.  Mr. Lieto’s argument may be valid – but it doesn’t seem to matter because we’re spending the money anyway.

What is happening?  Why won’t Mr. Vavrek answer questions about this topic?  Why has this topic seemed to have dissipated from the Board of Finance agendas?  Out of the entire legal budget last year 70% went to Pullman & Comley and 30% went to the Town Attorney, why?  Why does the First Selectman insist on hiring pricy outside counsel for many of the Town’s lawsuits?  His answer to this one is sometimes “the name scares people off.”  Well, twice now, not only has the name not scared people off – we’ve lost.  And as a matter of fact we must now spend more money to appeal these decisions.  Where is the accountability from the appropriating authority – BOF – of the Town? 

If you worked for a company and in year 1 blew your department’s budget by 22% on overruns, year 2 by 96%, year 3 by 587% and year 4 by 239% and now in year 5 are on track to blow it again as well as causing other department’s discretionary spending to be frozen – would you still have a job?  I think not. 

Mr. Vavrek, this is taxpayers’ hard earned dollars.  Why are you flagrantly throwing it away?  The people deserve to know.