Kane Co. budget dispute now in lawyers' hands

Attorneys for both the Kane County Board and Circuit Court Clerk Deb Seyller have begun early discussions on how best to resolve the budget dispute between the parties. So far, no friendly handshakes have been traded.

If the animosity shown by the Kane County Board for Seyller at a public budget meeting with department heads this week was any indication, it will take more than a willingness to work it out to avoid a courtroom conflict.

Questions by the county board this week showed the board now wants more than just answers about how Seyller will achieve a full 5.5-percent budget reduction. The board now also wants proof of the staffing hardship at Seyller's office by requesting a full roster of employee names both before and after the cuts Seyller has told the board she's already made.

Following that less-than-friendly request, State's Attorney John Barsanti has now appointed the law firm of Ungaretti & Harris to represent the county board in legal negotiations with Seyller.

The law firm is the former employer of Joe Cari, a key figure in the Tony Rezko trial after Cari's admission of guilt to a federal extortion charge connected to the case. One of the attorneys specifically named to represent Kane County is Sam Vinson, a former Republican state representative who worked under Cari when he was with the firm. The other attorney representing Kane County will be Claudette Miller, who once defended the constitutionality of public funding for Soldier Field renovations in a legal challenge.

Miller responded to an interview request Thursday only to say that her firm will generally not be discussing their representation of the county. Ungaretti & Harris is a politically active law firm, having made nearly $150,000 in campaign contributions to various Democrat and Republican candidates in recent years. Vinson himself has contributed a total of $850 to Kane County Board Chairman Karen McConnaughay in two separate campaigns.

Dean Frieders is representing Seyller on behalf of the law firm Mickey, Wilson, Weiler, Renzi & Anderson. Frieders said Thursday only very basic discussions about the functions of government have occurred between the two parties so far. There is no meeting scheduled so far between Seyller and the board to work out their troubles face to face. Frieders, however, said Seyller is looking for a workable resolution more than a fight.

"I think it's accurate to say that the clerk is seeking any kind of amicable resolution right now," Frieders said.

Meanwhile, taxpayers are on the hook to pay for the attorneys for both sides. Barsanti previously stated those fees would be about $200 per hour.