Grayslake District 46 legal fee hike spurs debate
Although hourly legal fees have been increased, a majority of Grayslake Elementary District 46 board members say the time isn’t right to seek another law firm for representation.
Board member Shannon Smigielski said she began pushing to seek proposals from businesses hired by District 46, including attorneys, after taking office in May. She said the idea is to try to help taxpayers save money.
“We have an obligation — an absolute obligation — to get the most bang for our buck,” Smigielski said Thursday.
At a meeting Wednesday night, the school board voted 4-3 against soliciting proposals from law firms that potentially would replace Chicago-based Scariano, Himes and Petrarca by charging a cheaper hourly rate.
Scariano, Himes boosted its fee by $10 an hour in July. The firm now charges $235 per hour to the district.
With at least 440 hours billed by Scariano, Himes this year, Smigielski said, the price increase can be expected to take a bite out of the district’s budget in 2012.
But District 46 board member Keith Surroz said despite the fee increase, now isn’t the time to seek other law firms because of the volume of work handled by the current attorneys. He added it might cost more money to bring new lawyers up to speed.
Surroz said the detailed work includes employee union contract negotiations and ethics complaint violations filed against some district officials by Lake County tea party founder Linwood “Lennie” Jarratt of Round Lake Beach.
“I personally am very happy with them,” Surroz said of Scariano, Himes.
A. Lynn Himes, an equity partner in the firm that represents many school districts and municipalities in Lake County and elsewhere in the Chicago area, did not return messages seeking comment.
Surroz and board members Susan Facklam and Karen Weinert and board President Ray Millington voted against requesting law firm proposals at this time. However, Millington said before he voted the district shouldn’t have any “sacred cows.”
Board members Michael Carbone, Kip Evans and Smigielski were in favor of seeking other attorneys. Smigielski said she intends to raise the issue again.
“It doesn’t cost anything to go out and look,” Carbone said.