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Greenberg board hears sharp debate over hiring outside counsel for ethics-related personnel matters
Summary
Council members debated TB 3, a resolution to retain Vincent Toomey as special counsel for personnel-related town matters with an additional $50,000 (reported as part of a $300,000 total). Critics called the expense unnecessary; supporters said outside counsel was required because the town attorney might be a witness and legislative immunity issues complicate representation.
The board engaged in a heated exchange over TB 3, a resolution to retain outside counsel Vincent Toomey for personnel-related town matters and to increase his authorized funding by $50,000 to a total of $300,000.
Opponents called the expense a waste of taxpayer dollars and questioned the value of outside representation when the town attorney could handle matters. Supporters said the decision to use outside counsel resulted from procedural constraints — the town attorney could become a witness and therefore could not represent the board in certain proceedings — and that legislative-immunity issues require specialized counsel.
At least one board member said the ethics board’s powers are limited to recommendations, and questioned whether they would abide by any recommendations if fines were proposed. Other board members said having a matter before the ethics board can carry reputational consequences and that outside counsel was necessary to defend the town’s interests.
The transcript records extended argument over past ethics complaints, whether costs had been justified and how long litigation and billing had been ongoing. The motion was put and the roll-call voice votes followed; individual votes were recorded verbally during the meeting.
