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Citizen petition asks Binghamton to outsource corporation counsel; council signals committee review
Summary
A resident urged Binghamton City Council to replace its in-house corporation counsel with outside contracted law firms, citing potential savings and itemized billing; councilmembers said the idea requires more study and indicated it may return to committee.
A citizen petitioner on Monday urged the Binghamton City Council to put the city's corporation counsel work out to bid and replace the in-house, taxpayer-funded law office with contracted outside counsel.
The petitioner, introduced in the meeting as John Solak and identified as the sponsor of citizen-requested RL25-03, said, "The city of Binghamton is the only municipality other than the county that has an in house taxpayer funded law firm. The only 1." He argued that surrounding towns and villages rely on outside attorneys and that the city could save money and obtain itemized billing by using private law firms on RFP contracts.
Solak recommended limits on contract length and itemized billing practices. "You will have a yearly contract or even a longer contract," Solak said. "I wouldn't suggest more than 2 years." He also told councilmembers that outside firms carry professional liability insurance and that, in his view, bringing work to outside firms could reduce long-term risk to the city.
Council members asked questions and raised procedural points. One council member said the proposal would need a referendum and "a lot of work," and indicated they were likely to return the item to committee for further study to assess cost-effectiveness and policy implications. The transcript records no vote or formal referral; council discussion closed with the intent to discuss next steps with the council member who chairs the relevant committee.
Solak framed his request with several examples and local comparisons, saying he had observed outside-counsel arrangements in surrounding municipalities and that routine municipal legal work is commonly handled through outside contracts. He also urged more transparency in public access to corporation counsel contact information and billing details.
No formal motion, vote, or ordinance adoption on RL25-03 is recorded in the provided transcript. Council members flagged the item for additional review and due diligence before considering any ballot measure or structural change.
