Millville commissioners debate reappointment of municipal attorney Brock Russell

Millville Mayor and commissioners debated a resolution to remove item No. 1 from the table and appoint Brock Russell as municipal attorney during the commission's public meeting. Vice Mayor Watson introduced the item and urged commissioners to reappoint Russell, citing his ongoing work for the city and availability for meetings and litigation.

The exchange concerned legal staffing, contracting for paralegal and court-filing work, and whether outside counsel could provide the same service more cheaply. The item matters because the municipal solicitor represents the city in litigation, attends closed sessions and advisory meetings, and because commissioners said staff continuity affects ongoing redevelopment and contract work.

Vice Mayor Watson said the city would lose an experienced representative if Russell were not reappointed, adding that Russell is “probably one of the best representatives we have for the city of Millville” and that he is “available to us at our convenience, for face to face, you know, conversations.”

Several commissioners pushed back. One commissioner said recent changes in legal staffing and the cost of in‑house versus outside counsel merited consideration, asserting “over the last year, I think we can do better and save some money with outside counsel.” Commissioners also raised personnel issues tied to how paralegal work is handled and whether that work must be subcontracted to outside attorneys to enter filings into the court system.

Brock Russell spoke briefly in the meeting to defend his record. Russell said he had recommended a lawyer in one private matter years ago and that a private client later used that lawyer to file a separate claim; he denied that he had directed complaint filings against any commissioner and disputed an allegation about how a recommendation had been used.

Commissioners described a web of retained outside counsel (bond counsel, labor counsel, foreclosure counsel, tax counsel and redevelopment counsel) and noted that when Russell became an employee, paralegal tasks previously performed internally were being handled by subcontracted staff. One commissioner said a paralegal on staff had received a $4,000 stipend and that recent personnel changes assigned those duties to an individual who cannot make court filings, meaning filings would go to outside counsel.

No formal motion or recorded vote appears in the transcript. The discussion included strong expressions of support for Russell from multiple commissioners and equally strong statements that the city could consider other arrangements; the transcript ends with the item discussed but no vote recorded.

Next steps: the transcript does not show whether the resolution was put to a vote at that meeting, nor does it record any formal appointment outcome.