Two city councilmen in Dover, Brian Lewis and Roy Sudler, have raised concerns about the city solicitor, Nicholas Rodriguez, and his outsourcing of legal services. Lewis reviewed the legal budget for fiscal year 23 to 24 and found billing exceeded $300 thousand, well over the original budget of $172 thousand. Both councilmen believe that outsourcing legal services is escalating costs unnecessarily and that the city should consider hiring a full-time solicitor with a broader range of expertise.
According to Lewis and Sudler, investing in a dedicated solicitor who focuses solely on city legal issues could save taxpayer money and provide better service to constituents. They also pointed out that the current arrangement of paying Rodriguez and his deputy through their law firms raises ethical concerns, especially when one partner in the firm has an ongoing lawsuit against the city.
Sudler has raised these issues with Rodriguez via email, but so far, there has been no resolution. Lewis plans to address the problem in a council meeting and hopes to garner support from other council members to make a change. Both councilmen believe that bringing legal services in-house could not only lead to cost savings but also ensure a more dedicated and comprehensive approach to the city’s legal needs. It remains to be seen how the city council will respond to these concerns and whether any changes will be made to the current outsourcing arrangement.
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