HomeMy WebLinkAboutPress Release-7-28-2021 City Clerk's Statement Regarding Hiring Outside Counsel
PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
FROM: DAWN M. JONES, CITY CLERK
DATE: WEDNESDAY, JULY 28, 2021
SUBJECT: CITY CLERK’S STATEMENT REGARDING HIRING OF OUTSIDE COUNSEL
CONTACT: DMJONES@SOUTHBENDIN.GOV
STATEMENT OF DAWN JONES, SOUTH BEND CITY CLERK,
REGARDING HIRING OF OUTSIDE COUNSEL
“When the Common Council established the ordinance creating the Community Police Review
Board, it placed the duty of establishing the office which would support the Board’s important
work with the City Clerk’s Office. As we have moved forward with the process of establishing
this CPRB Office, I have determined that it is necessary to hire legal counsel to keep myself and
the community abreast of the rules and regulations involved with the establishment of that office.
Also, to help ensure that the office can secure the data and materials that it will need to complete
its work. The attorneys work for the office of the city clerk they are not personal attorneys. The
authority under which we have retained counsel stems from IC 36-4-10-5.5, which is included
below for reference.”
IC 36-4-10-5.5
Employment of attorneys or legal research assistants
Sec. 5.5. (a) A clerk or clerk-treasurer may hire or contract with
competent attorneys or legal research assistants on terms the clerk or
clerk-treasurer considers appropriate.
(b) Employment of an attorney under this section does not affect
a city department of law established under IC 36-4-9-4.
(c) Appropriations for the salaries of attorneys and legal research
assistants employed under this section shall be approved in the annual
budget and must be allocated to the clerk or clerk-treasurer for the
payment of attorney's and legal research assistant's salaries.
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