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Salem Township hires MBM Law as solicitor; residents ask whether firm or single attorney will handle town business
Summary
The Salem Township Board unanimously approved retaining MBM Law as its solicitor at $175 per hour for out-of-meeting work; supervisors said two firm attorneys will serve as main contacts, and residents asked for an individually assigned attorney and praised the long-serving former solicitor.
Kerry Jobe, a newly appointed chairman of the Salem Township Board of Supervisors, led the board Jan. 5 in voting to retain MBM Law as the township solicitor, with no monthly retainer and a $175 hourly rate for work outside regular meetings.
The change replaces a long-standing relationship with Solicitor Falatovich, whom Jobe described as “there for us when we needed him” and credited with work such as a stormwater ordinance. Jobe said the board selected a firm in order to have attorneys available to answer questions quickly and exclusively for the township—naming Falco Muscante as a seasoned attorney and Ryan Thomas as a younger colleague who will work with the township.
Resident Debbie Perino asked how the township would manage contacts at a firm and whether residents would see rotating staff. “If it is a firm, it could be a group of 10 or 12 employees,” she said, urging that the board clarify who would serve as the solicitor on specific matters. Jobe responded that the township will primarily work with two attorneys from the firm and that Falatovich will help during the transition.
Former Planning Commission chair Jack Dunaway thanked Solicitor Falatovich for his years of service and praised current Planning Commission chair Connie Mattei for handling due diligence responsibilities effectively. Other residents—Lisa Segina and Tom Ridella—expressed support for the change and for term limits as a means to renew local leadership.
The motion to retain MBM Law passed unanimously, with supervisors Kerry Jobe, Bob Zundel and Todd Paulich voting in favor. The board did not set a monthly retainer; hourly billing will apply for out-of-meeting legal work. The board’s action included an explanation of the transition plan; no formal contract text or start date beyond the motion was presented at the meeting.
What happens next: Jobe said the firm will introduce its attorneys to the board and residents over time. The board did not take further formal action on solicitor staffing at the Jan. 5 meeting.
