Aurora council approves assistant corporation counsel amid budget concerns

Aurora City Council approved a resolution appointing Michelle Nearman as Assistant Corporation Counsel 3 on Tuesday, after extended debate about budget timing, hiring practices and anticipated savings from cutting outside counsel work.

The hire passed 7–5. Supporters said the in-house position is intended to reduce tens of thousands of dollars in outside legal bills and provide continuity during upcoming labor negotiations; opponents said hiring should wait until the city’s 2026 budget is finalized and publicly available.

The council’s corporation counsel (name not given on the record) outlined the rationale for the hire, telling the council the city had incurred roughly $295,000 in outside labor-related legal fees through the prior meeting and had just received an additional bill of about $33,000 for August. The counsel said those costs can top more than $300,000 a year and argued bringing an experienced attorney in-house part time would yield net savings over contracting outside labor counsel.

Alderman Smith, who said she did not dispute the candidate’s qualifications, opposed approval, citing constituent concern and the city’s precarious budget. “We can’t sit here and be told we’re in Armageddon and then continue to hire people,” Smith said, stating she could not rely on estimated savings while the budget picture remained unclear.

Chief of Staff Shannon Cameron and the corporation counsel both told the council the administration was not imposing a blanket hiring freeze and that some roles deemed essential could still be filled. Cameron said the hire was intended to support HR and reduce future outside counsel spend. Stacy Peterson, the city’s chief financial officer, later told the council that HR’s professional-fees line items had totaled roughly $228,000 in 2023 and about $200,000 in 2024, and arbitration-related spending had been tens of thousands of dollars in recent years.

Aldermen who supported the appointment argued the math showed likely savings and that delaying the hire risked losing a candidate willing to work four days a week and support imminent union negotiations. Supporters also noted that certain union negotiations and arbitration dates were scheduled this fall and said having in-house counsel would help manage those processes more efficiently.

Several council members raised process questions: the position had not been widely posted and the corporation counsel said she had conducted a narrower search aimed at attorneys with municipal labor and employment experience; opponents said that undercut public transparency.

After discussion the council voted to approve the appointment. Motion to approve: moved and seconded on the floor; final recorded roll call produced a tally of 7 yes and 5 no. The council did not adopt any separate limit, amendment or delay when approving the resolution.

The appointment is effective immediately per the resolution. Council members who asked for additional budget data were told the administration would provide further financial details during the upcoming budget cycle.