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Putnam County Legislature votes to appoint outside counsel after clash with county attorney
Summary
The Putnam County Legislature voted Dec. 3 to authorize outside counsel for the legislature and for a prospective litigation matter, after heated debate over whether the county attorney or the legislature has final authority to approve outside counsel.
The Putnam County Legislature voted Dec. 3 to appoint outside counsel and to authorize outside counsel for a prospective litigation matter, siding with legislators who said the county charter gives the legislature the authority to select its own legal representation.
The action followed a sustained dispute with the county attorney’s office over who may approve contracts for outside counsel. Legislators repeatedly cited Putnam County Charter section 2.04 (powers and duties of the county legislature) and Putnam County Code §140-3.5 as the basis for their authority to appoint counsel. Chairman opened the meeting, moved to accept an amended resolution and a roll call later recorded multiple "Yes" votes; the clerk declared "Motion carries."
Why it matters: the vote sets the legislature’s chosen counsel as the body’s legal representative in upcoming matters and formalizes the…
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