Circuit clerk gets attorney in possible lawsuit against Kane county board
A prominent Aurora-based law firm will help Kane County Circuit Court Clerk Deb Seyller decide if she can and should sue the Kane County Board over the board imposing a midyear 5.5-percent budget cut on her office and other county departments.
Mickey, Wilson, Weiler, Renzi & Anderson will represent Seyller in that decision. Kane County State's Attorney John Barsanti announced the appointment Friday. Barsanti said in a written statement that he has not yet reached an agreement with a law firm to represent the county board in the dispute. Barsanti recused himself and his staff from the dispute as his official capacity makes him the attorney for both the county board and the circuit court clerk's office, creating a conflict of interest.
The firm has represented several municipalities, including Sugar Grove and Montgomery and school districts, including West Aurora Unit District 129 and Batavia Unit District 101.
At least one attorney for the firm, Steven Andersson, has contributed money to the campaign funds of parties on both sides of the current dispute. Back in October 2008, Andersson contributed $250 each to the campaign funds of Seyller and County Board Chairman Karen McConnaughay.
The dispute over the budget cut is ongoing. Staff from Seyller's office told the county board's Judicial & Public Safety Committee Friday that the office has only accounted for 3.5 percent of the 5.5 percent cut imposed by the county board so far. When asked about the use of furlough days to find the remaining cut, staff said Seyller is experiencing problems with the union representing circuit court clerk employees. It already has filed grievances with Seyller regarding scheduling changes as the result of staff cutbacks already in place. Those grievances will head to arbitration next.
In response to that information, county board member John Fahy pointed out how Chicago Mayor Richard Daley recently handled unions that wouldn't go along with furlough days by instituting layoffs.