“So, What Can I Do?”

It seems that, one way or the other, the issue of the Cooper Levenson law contract will be heading back to City Council for deliberation next week. If you agree, as I do, with the arguments that former Trenton City Attorney George Dougherty makes about the independence of the city’s Law Director and how he should be the last word on legal business in this town, then the outcome of any such deliberation should be clear. Given some of the public comments of several Council members from last week, I feel confident in the outcome.

But I believe we should get more out of the discussion than to say to Cooper Levenson, “Here’s your hat. What’s your hurry?”

I hear you say, “OK, OK. What Can I Do about it?”

It is very important this weekend to encourage City Council and Law Director Marc McKithen to examine and reveal just what this law firm – and all of our outside counsel and consultants –  have been doing in our name. We all need to contact our Council members and give them this encouragement. Tell them you agree with George Dougherty that the Mayor has no right to veto what the City Attorney does. And, while you’re at it, ask them to find out what the heck all these outside lawyers have been doing for us, anyway!

Back in October, when City Council reversed prior votes and awarded two contracts for legal services – one to Cooper Levenson and another to the firm Florio Perucci, a few citizens (including me – video evidence here, in the one “I told you so!” moment I will allow myself, LOL) suggested that the scope of work for those firms be disclosed and discussed: what kind of assignments were these firms to receive? Who would make that determination?

Firm CEO Lloyd Levenson spoke at that October 19 session and described how – compared to prior specialized work his firm was brought in to do, such as Worker’s Compensation claims and the like – this new contract was intended to cover more general law work , including the multiple claims and suits that come before any city (and, which, presumably, are usually handled by a city’s in-house legal staff).

So, what’s the work been? How much of our $50,000 has been spent? What kinds of cases have these firms been assigned?  Has all the work been on genuine, legitimate city business?

Or have any billable hours been spent on items like, oh I don’t know, possible legal defenses against any personal criminal or civil charges, should any items like that happen, hypothetically,  to come up? Stuff like that.

Answers like that might just go a long way toward providing some explanation of why both the Mayor and the law firm are so ferociously defending this relationship and this contract, which is still a relatively small contract, even for a desperately poor town like Trenton.

Anyway, why rely on speculation such as mine? Wouldn’t it be better to KNOW the answers? I think so.

If you agree, please let Council know, too. Now is the perfect time to spread some sunshine on these matters. This effort should first be focused on Cooper Levenson, since this is the most news-worthy and controversial relationship right now.  But let’s find out what Florio Perrucci and any other consultants of firms are working on, in our name.

We are paying the bills. Let’s be informed customers.

Here are the official email addresses for our Council. Drop them a line this weekend. If you see them, or have other ways to get in touch with them, let them know you’d like to know what our hired people have been doing. For us.

George Muschal   gmuschal@trentonnj.org

Phyllis Holly-Ward phollyward@trentonnj.org

Alex Bethea abethea@trentonnj.org

Kathy McBride kmcbride@trentonnj.org

Marge Caldwell- Wilson mcaldwell-wilson@trentonnj.org

Verlina Reynolds-Jackson vreynolds-jackson@trentonnj.org

Zachary Chester zchester@trentonnj.org

This will be a good start. I get the feeling a lot of stuff is starting to break wide open in Trenton, just like all the potholes are starting to open in town. All that’s been rotting is starting to crack, as it always will.Let’s help things along, shall we?

Contact your Council. Please, do it this weekend.