City lawyer won't disclose legal tab (London, Ont.)

City lawyer won't disclose legal tab

Controller Bud Polhill says he'll seek full disclosure at today's board of control meeting.

By JONATHAN SHER, SUN MEDIA

Nearly a year has passed since a high-priced Toronto lawyer argued a losing case before the Supreme Court of Canada that will cost London taxpayers more than $300,000.

But though the anniversary of that court date is tomorrow, London's city solicitor hasn't disclosed how much was paid to lawyer George Rust D'Eye despite repeated requests from The Free Press to do so, most recently yesterday.

The Supreme Court found council broke the law when it met behind closed doors to discuss a development freeze.

Controller Bud Polhill said he'll ask city administration to disclose the legal costs when board of control meets today.

"I think it's something the people should know. It should have been out there before now," he said yesterday.

Even without counting the money paid to Rust D'Eye, who charges $545 an hour, the legal cost to taxpayers of the case is approaching $300,000:

- At least $108,000 for Siskind-Cromarty lawyer Jim Caskey.

- $106,597 to the lawyer for developer RSJ holdings.

- $17,500 for the legal costs of Polhill and Coun. Roger Caranci, who signed affidavits, used by Patton, about the goings-on behind closed doors.

- The value of the work done by city hall lawyers, which partway through the process, was estimated as high as $53,400.

RSJ's lawyer, Alan Patton, freely disclosed his tab when asked yesterday.

"My client always insisted he wanted the truth to be told. Most of my private-sector clients would do the same thing."

Patton said the city should follow suit.

"It's necessary and important for (the city) to disclose the legal costs they paid to their own lawyers," he said.

In 2003, RSJ Holdings Inc. applied to demolish a house at 915 Richmond St. and build a fourplex. Its plans were frustrated when council, concerned by the spread of student housing, temporarily froze development on Richmond between Huron and Grosvenor streets.

The freeze was later quashed by the Ontario Court of Appeal because council had twice debated it in sessions closed to the public.

 
 

http://lfpress.ca/newsstand/CityandRegion/2007/11/14/pf-4654155.html