Closer to 54%, actually. That would be the amount used from the $8,000 line item for all legal expenses in the town budget passed by Paris voters 6-13-09.
Emergency expenses, rate changes, state of the economy, all possible factors that can claim budgeted funds. The factor that claimed a good chunk of these budgeted funds, however, was a poorly- thought-through decision to dismiss the previous town manager on the personal agenda of a portion of the selectboard, at the very first meeting of one of the newly elected selectmen. The loosely-framed reason was to take the town in "a different direction."
The town manager who was fired has sued for damages; legal discussions may or may not have been shared with the whole selectboard; and the entire town is now paying the unnecessary legal costs of this poorly-thought-out, personal-agenda action.
The town has received the following bills from Bernstein Shur, the firm of Town Attorney Geoffrey Hole:
Bills for July ($1,199.04) and August ($1,482.03) appeared in the 10-07-09 posting The Importance of Why on this site. September's two bills come to $1615.32; total for 3 months, $4296.39
As of 9/30/09, after removing $719.50 worth of itemized charges from the 3 bills for other legal issues not related to the law suit, the total unnecessary legal costs to this town for the poorly-thought-out, personal-agenda action come to $3576.89. This is roughly 45% of the $8,000. There are some months of costly legal work to go before the court date; and if the 3 selectmen of the 3-2 split vote insist on a trial, there will be even more expenses.
The decision that brought on these costs was unannounced, and not agreed on. And the costs certainly were not budgeted for.
So much for caring about the welfare of the whole town...
