Youngstown’s general fund won’t pay for judges’ lawyer
YOUNGSTOWN — If the municipal court judges are going to sue the city over new court facilities, they’re not going to pay their attorney with money from the city’s general fund.
That’s the decision made today by city council after receiving a legal opinion from Law Director Iris Torres Guglucello on where the money to pay a private attorney to represent the judges would come.
The judges had requested council approve legislation allowing them to spend up to $25,000 from the city’s general fund to pay John B. Juhasz, their attorney, to potentially sue the city to require a new court facility.
Instead, council and the city administration decided that the money should come from a special fund established by the judges for a new court facility. The money for that fund comes from a $14 fee on various court documents and has about $1.4 million in that account.
The city’s general fund is facing a deficit of about $3 million this year.
The judges couldn’t be reached tonight to comment on council’s decision.
But they have been adamant that no money from the special fund be used for Juhasz’s legal fees.
“The money [in the special fund] doesn’t belong to the judges,” Mayor Jay Williams said. “We’re trying to close a budget gap. There’s $1.4 million for a new court. Why dig another hole when that money is there? This is not their money. It’s the city’s money. It’s a rational approach.”
For the complete story, read Thursday’s Vindicator or Vindy.com