From the start of the talks with the resort chapter of the International Association of Fire Fighters a year ago on Jan. 27 2016, the city has incurred $237,912 in legal fees with no deal in place yet. In all cases, the city’s legal advisors were from the Baltimore law firm Miles & Stockbridge and City Solicitor Guy Ayres.
According to an accounting supplied by the city clerk’s office following a request for information by Ocean City Today, this total compares to the $97,140 in legal fees paid when the city negotiated the 2015 contract with the Fraternal Order of Police. The police union filed for binding interest arbitration that year after reaching an impasse about salary and cost-of-living increases, but both parties were able to reach an agreement without following through with the arbitration.
The legal expense related to the FOPs 2013 contract was higher, at $135,153, even though it involved three bargaining session as compared to four that took place during the 2015 talks.
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Just who in Ocean City is stupid enough to do this? This must be another one of their most recent efforts to manage by Committee.
ReplyDeleteThe fruits of a union. Note thier president has no comment on the amount they have paid. As always, little twerp only answers when it's convenient. M&CC is going to stomp them in the end.
ReplyDeleteQuarter of a million and STILL nothing. Guy Guy (and fam) sure know how to rack up the fees!!
ReplyDeleteINDEED!
ReplyDeleteCosts a pretty penny to have a Bawlmer lawyer cross the bridge. And they are probably billing for travel time.
That's why I have warned people, time-and-time again, on this blog to stay the hell out of OC. Can you imagine the residents real estate tax bills!!! The OC council and particularly the lawyers are saddling the OC taxpayers and binding them to collective bargaining agreements.
ReplyDeleteOC is bad news all the way around. That municipality will pick-pocket you and before you know it, you won't have the means to get back west across the bridge. And it has gotten progressively worse over the past few years. IMHO the town went wrong after Mayor Harry Kelley left office and the form of Town governance went to the City Administrator form. The Town of OC has consistently gone down hill ever since.