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Middletown City Council ends contract with Bricker & Eckler, approves Frost Brown Todd as city law firm
Summary
At a special meeting March 11, 2025, Middletown City Council voted to terminate its legal-services contract with Bricker & Eckler LLP and approved a contract with Frost Brown Todd LLP to serve as the city's law director; the council also held an executive session under Ohio statute for personnel matters and accepted the meeting documents.
Middletown City Council voted Tuesday, March 11, 2025, to terminate its legal-services contract with Bricker & Eckler LLP and to approve a contract with Frost Brown Todd LLP to provide all legal services and serve as the city's law director.
The actions came during a special meeting in which the council first moved into an executive session under Ohio Revised Code Section 121.22(G)(1) to consider the appointment, employment, dismissal, discipline, promotion, demotion, or compensation of a public employee or official. The council also voted to receive and file the special meeting documents at the start of the session.
The motion to end the city's contract with Bricker & Eckler LLP — described in the meeting as a termination and cancellation of all contracts for legal services, including law director and economic development services — was moved and seconded and carried on a roll-call vote. The roll call in the public record shows Mayor Slamka, Councilmember Lawley, Councilmember Carter, Councilmember West and Councilmember Horn voting yes; the motion passed.
Council next voted to approve a contract with Frost Brown Todd LLP for “all legal services and to serve as the city's law director.” That motion was moved and seconded and carried on a recorded roll call; the transcript shows Councilmember (name transcribed as) Wally, Councilmember Carter, Councilmember West, Councilmember Horn and Mayor Slamka voting yes and the motion passing.
The meeting record shows no substantive debate or explanatory remarks on the motions in open session; no contract terms, including scope, length or cost, were specified during the public votes. The council did not put additional factual details about reasons for the change or contract amounts on the record during the open meeting.
The council adjourned the special meeting at 8:54 p.m. and scheduled its next regular meeting for Tuesday, March 18, 2025, at 5:30 p.m. in the council chambers.
Votes at a glance
• Motion to receive, accept and file the special meeting documents — Passed (roll call recorded; individual yes votes recorded in the transcript). • Motion to move to executive session under Ohio Revised Code Section 121.22(G)(1) — Passed (roll call recorded). • Motion to terminate and cancel all contracts for legal services with Bricker & Eckler LLP (including law director and economic development services) — Passed (roll-call yes votes recorded). • Motion to approve a contract with Frost Brown Todd LLP for all legal services and to serve as the city's law director — Passed (roll-call yes votes recorded).
