Will dispute over Miami convention cost taxpayers?
A debate has ensued over whether taxpayers will foot the legal bill in Avon Township Assessor Rick Dishman's fight to use public money for a Miami convention about 90 days before he leaves office.
Dishman's attorney, Gretchen Neddenriep, contends her client doesn't have to use his own cash for representation in the squabble that began in June with the new Avon Township board. She estimated taxpayers are on the hook for $3,000 in legal fees so far.
But township Supervisor Sam Yingling said Tuesday public money won't be used to cover Dishman's legal bills. He said the township would have to pay only if Dishman were sued in his capacity as township assessor.
"I hope she (Neddenriep) enjoys working for free or Mr. Dishman enjoys writing a $3,000 check," Yingling said.
Yingling contends former township supervisor Shirley Christian improperly issued checks for Dishman's trip. He said minutes from April and May meetings show the town board tabled Dishman's request for about $3,000 for the event.
Despite lacking board approval, Christian still cut checks to cover airfare, hotel rooms and conference fees for Dishman and an assistant to attend the ProVal International Users Group gathering from Sept. 26 to Oct. 1, Yingling said.
Neddenriep said Dishman received proper approval and needs to attend the South Beach convention to receive updates about software he uses as Avon Township assessor. She said Dishman, who lost to Bryce Carus in the April election, wants to do the best job possible before leaving Dec. 31.
"He doesn't want to go to Miami in September," Neddenriep said. "It's hurricane (season)."
Christian, who lost to Yingling in the April election, could not be reached for comment.
Neddenriep said Dishman is entitled to his own attorney in the tussle with the township board, based on a court ruling in another Illinois case. She said his legal bills must be paid by the township if he's correct about the trip expenses having received formal approval.
"And the taxpayers are going to be paying for us," she added.
Last month, Dishman refused a township board demand he get refunds for everything connected to the ProVal convention. ProVal is a private organization involved with software for real-estate tax bills.
Dishman and assistant Penny Heckel reserved two rooms at Loews Miami Beach Hotel for $1,638. Conference fees for Dishman and Heckel cost $870, with two airline tickets running another $478.
Yingling said Loews has returned the $1,638 to Avon Township at his request. He said he's yet to obtain refunds for the airfares or conference expenses.
Meanwhile, Yingling said it cost taxpayers $1,080 for an outside company's work on a township computer's hard drive, necessitated by the erasure of files by Christian's daughter and a friend. He said while the Lake County state's attorney's office has been investigating, he now wants the agency to seek restitution for the computer work.
Christian maintains she meant to remove only e-mails and personal information from the government computer before Yingling took over May 18.
Yingling said some information was retrieved through backup tapes that were in possession of prosecutors, but much remains missing. He said nothing was restored from September 2008 to mid-May.