The Yearly Cost Of Legal Services For Granville Village: $100,000

Updated 02/10/09: The Village of Granville spent $98,310.47 in 2008 and $111,618.45 in 2007 for legal services. Each year, all but $15,000 went to Law Director Michael Crites and his law firm. The $15,000 was for Douglas Sassen, Director of Law for the City of Newark.

In 2008, Granville was under contract with Michael Crites for his part-time services as Law Director of the Village. The contract calls for payments of $1,000 each month. The Village has signed the same contract for 2009.

For the $12,000, Crites agreed to the following:

Attendance at all Regular and Special Council Meetings.

Attendance at Regular Planning and Zoning Commission and Board of Zoning
and Building Appeal Meetings, as requested by the Village Manager.

Reviewing and drafting all routine ordinances and resolutions.

For additional services, Crites would bill at a rate of $125 an hour. The additional services include:

Attendance at all other board and commission meetings upon the request of the Chairman or upon the request of the Village Manager.

Drafting, reviewing and approving all contracts, agreements, leases, legal documents and non routine ordinances, resolutions and proclamations.

Providing legal advice to Village Officials as necessary or upon request, and attending meetings and/or conferences as requested by Village Officials.

Responding to Village Manager and Staff inquiries.

Attendance at meetings with developers and staff.

Attendance at meetings and discussions with City, County, State and Federal officials and other governmental officials.

Attendance at additional meetings not specified under the aforementioned paragraphs.

All other work requested by the Village Manager, Mayor, Council, and/or staff.

However, there is an error in the signed contract making it unclear just how much the Village should be charged for services. The contract lists $120 or $125 per hour for lawyers and $60 or $65 per hour for law clerks:

“…perform the following routine services at the rate of One Hundred Twenty Dollars ($125.00) per hour. In addition, law clerk time, if any, will be billed at Sixty Dollars ($65.00) per hour.”

On his invoices, Crites charged $125 per hour during 2008 and $120 during 2007.

In 2008, those additional services came to $73,060.47 less “courtesy” discounts totaling $1,750.

Additional charges in 2007 totaled $89,868.45 less “courtesy” discounts of $5,250.

For details of the monthly charges and to view the invoices, click here or on the image to the right.

The charges are higher when litigation services are required. Litigation services are defined as drafting and responding to complaints and all appellate and administrative matters. According to the contract:

“Litigation services shall be provided at an hourly rate of Ohio Hundred Fifty Five Dollars ($155.00) per hour for the Law Director or any affiliate of his firm with more than fifteen (15) years experience; at the rate of One Hundred Thirty Dollars ($130.00) per hour for any affiliate of his firm with between six (6) and fifteen (15) years experience; and at the rate of One Hundred Five Dollars ($105.00) per hour for any affiliate of his firm with less than six (6) years experience. In addition, paralegal and law clerk time, if any, will be billed at Sixty~Five Dollars ($65.00) per hour.”

For example, the Cleveland Hall Appeal required the litigation services of the Law Director. The Village ended up spending approximately $23,000 with Crites and his law firm during the appeal to Village Council and the subsequent appeal in the Court of Common Pleas. The Village lost the appeal in Common Pleas court.

NOTE: Jack Thornborough was one of the residents bringing the Cleveland Hall appeal. He also is the Editor of The Granville Press.

In addition to the contract with Michael Crites, the Village of Granville is also under contract with the City of Newark, Ohio, Office of the Director of Law for services to be provided by Douglas Sassen. Sassen will act as the Village’s prosecutor whenever Village cases end up in Court in Newark. This contract calls for a flat fee of $15,000 per year. There are no additional charges.

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