Loxahatchee Groves council agrees to consider one-year employment contract for Jeffrey S. Kurtz at next meeting

The Town Council of the Town of Loxahatchee Groves voted 4–1 on July 22 to continue consideration of an employment agreement for Jeffrey S. Kurtz, Esq., and to have the town attorney draft a one-year contract for presentation at the council's next meeting along with any other applicants.

The vote came after about two hours of discussion and public comment about cost, oversight and whether the town’s charter requires a formal employment contract for the town attorney. Councilmember Al Ramey made the motion to convert the draft resolution/agreement into an official employment contract to be considered at the Monday meeting; Councilmember Marge Coleman seconded the motion. Councilmember Paul cast the lone No vote; the motion passed 4–1.

Why it matters: The council spent the meeting debating whether to hire as in-house counsel a longtime town project coordinator applying to serve as town attorney and how that hiring would affect legal costs, contract liability and the council’s ability to remove a charter officer. Supporters said putting the town attorney on staff would centralize responsibility; opponents said the move could raise long-term costs and…