law firm
Charleroi Borough has received a second invoice from Obermayer, Rebmann, Maxwell & Hippel, the firm hired in March — and fired in June — to handle matters related to the Authority of the Borough of Charleroi.
During a business meeting June 14, council agreed to pay the firm’s initial invoice for $53,604, though council members questioned how such a hefty bill had been racked up.
The firm was hired several weeks after a recommendation by borough Solicitor Sean Logue to have it handle matters related to ABC because the firm is considered “experts” in the field.
The borough signed a contract with the firm in April, but the deal worked out June 28 between the borough and ABC didn’t involve the firm at all. It was negotiated between the borough and ABC with its solicitors.
On Wednesday, council paid its bills but excluded a new invoice from Obermayer for an additional $34,000.
Council unanimously voted for that invoice to be temporarily tabled.
Council wants to be sure that the borough wasn’t billed for any work completed after it decided to cut ties with the firm.
Council has previously said the firm was notified by both e-mail and phone that its services would no longer be needed.
The total cost for its service, if the newest invoice is paid, would be more than $87,000. Borough resident Adele Hopkins on Wednesday said taxpayers should be kept informed of anything paid to the law firm.
“I think the public has a right to know,” she said. “Any charge after June 28 when they were fired and told they were no longer solicitors for this borough, I think, Mr. Logue, you would need to pay that. You suggested we needed them. And it was for nothing. We need to see the invoice because anything after the 28th would be illegal because they were no longer employed by this borough. They were supposed to be done.”
Logue agreed with council’s decision to hold off on that payment.
“I have asked them for a copy of their files related to their work, and that has not been supplied to me yet,” he said.