PRINCETON: Two legal bills held for review

The Princeton Council this week delayed paying town attorney Edwin W. Schmierer’s law firm $56,300 so two councilwomen can scrutinize bills he submitted.

By Philip Sean Curran, Staff Writer
   The Princeton Council this week delayed paying town attorney Edwin W. Schmierer’s law firm $56,300 so two councilwomen can scrutinize bills he submitted.
   Councilwoman Jo S. Butler said Wednesday that she and Councilwoman Heather H. Howard did not have a chance to review all the bills before they went on the agenda for Tuesday’s council meeting.
   She was unable to explain why that missed step occurred, given that she and Ms. Howard normally review the bills before they are added to the regular list of bills and claims council routinely approves.
   The firm of Mason, Griffin & Pierson sought payment of $58,038 for legal work in December and January, municipal records showed. Council, however, agreed to pay $1,707 of that total but held the two larger bills.
   Mr. Schmierer, attending the meeting in his normal role as town attorney, offered no public comment when council announced it was delaying a vote. He declined to comment Wednesday.
   Ms. Butler, understanding that Mr. Schmierer wants to be paid, said she expects the bills would be on the bill list for the council meeting Monday.Ms. Butler and Ms. Howard sit on an oversight committee that has been keeping an eye on the town’s legal expenses. The town, concerned about the large sums it was paying in legal expenses, last year worked with Mr. Schmierer to reduce the billing rates the firm charges the town.
   ”I don’t think they’re trending down. Do you?” Ms. Butler said of municipal legal costs.
   This comes with the council looking to hire a law firm for 2014, a decision that is expected soon given that the governing body extended its one contract with Mr. Schmierer’s firm to the end of February. The topic was listed as part of council’s closed agenda for Tuesday.
   His firm and others expressed interest in representing the town, with a source saying it was likely Mason, Griffin & Pierson would get the contract. If so, a different lawyer from the firm, Trishka Waterbury Cecil, would replace Mr. Schmierer as town attorney after more than 30 years.