By:  Diane Benjamin

When the City of Bloomington paid Todd Greenburg to leave as City Attorney last October, he was not replaced.  Instead they hired a Springfield Law Firm and attorney Jeff Jurgens.  All of the below information is  from the Bills and Payroll reports:  http://www.cityblm.org/index.aspx?page=242&parent=6058

This is a list of payments to the law firm in Springfield since the beginning of this fiscal year, 4/1/2014:  (they didn’t start on 4/1/14)

SORLING NORTHRUP HANNA

6/9/14  CHECK TOTAL 25,215.28

7/14/14  CHECK TOTAL 26,650.00

8/11/14  CHECK TOTAL 48,077.50

9/8/14  CHECK TOTAL 55,217.50

10/13/14  CHECK TOTAL 52,860.00

10/27/14 CHECK TOTAL 47,527.50

12/8/14  CHECK TOTAL 54,686.98

12/15/14  CHECK TOTAL 41,828.75

Total:            $352,063.51

I know Jeff Jurgens was heavily involved with Paradigm, you can send former Alderman Rob Fazzini a thank you note for the legal expense incurred by the City.  Jurgens was also involved with my lawsuit and probably settling to fix the Pepsi Ice Center parking garage.  To find out more I would have to file another Freedom of Information request, they would deny it, and eventually I would get it anyway.  The Attorney General has been very clear that legal invoices are subject to FOIA.  I’m not going to file it, if anybody wants to – let me know.

But that isn’t all of your tax dollars not spent locally for legal expenses.  Summaries of spending follow the individual payments.  Below are total payments to outside law firms.  The above are included in these amounts.  The difference is mostly paid to Chicago law firms.

LEGAL Outside Legal Co   69,926.35   4/14

LEGAL Outside Legal Co   81,701.42  4/28

LEGAL Outside Legal Co    3,014.57  5/27

LEGAL Outside Legal Co   49,877.85  6/9

LEGAL Outside Legal Co   67,271.67  6/23

LEGAL Outside Legal Co   27,070.00   7/14

LEGAL Outside Legal Co    6,163.75  7/28

LEGAL Outside Legal Co   72,810.35 8/11

LEGAL Outside Legal Co   19,238.60 8/25

LEGAL Outside Legal Co   99,210.54  9/8

LEGAL Outside Legal Co   13,847.25  9/22

LEGAL Outside Legal Co  57,176.64  10/13

LEGAL Outside Legal Co   90,640.10  10/27
LEGAL Outside Legal Co  107,779.35  12/8

LEGAL Outside Legal Co   54,167.02   12/15

Total:      $819,895.46

This fiscal year doesn’t end until 3/31/2015.  I’m sure the amount will be over $1,000,000 by then.

This is all money not reinvested in the community.  There are no local attorneys capable of doing (or learning) municipal law?

Consultants are constantly hired because City staff can’t make decisions.  Then lawyers have to review what the consultants said.

Lots of people are making big bucks on the money stolen from you to fund the City’s folly.  Too bad it’s nobody local who could hire employees and reinvest the money here.

No wonder tax receipts are down.

Yes, some theft of your money is required for a civil society.  Problems arise when the agenda-driven elected think they have the right to steal.  More tax increases coming.

I wonder how much has been spent on

• Renner’s downtown hotel wishes and establishing a TIF district
• Buying the old Sugar Creek Packing property
• Talking to the Coliseum  lawyers about correcting and releasing information
• Negotiating leases for dilapidated properties the City wants
• Brady grant
• Setting up their own court system
• probably more folly the City Council isn’t stopping (the potted plants)

You too can be just like Normal!