What Is City Solicitor's Status?

As Dr. Yood notes, tonight's agenda includes a large number of items under Corporation Counsel. The one that interests me calls for authorizing an additional $75,000 for City Solicitor David Minchello, who received the same amount in a May resolution retroactive to Jan. 1. That would make his compensation for 2012 $150,000, well within the range of what former Corporation Counsel Dan Williams received annually.


Minchello has served the city well. He had a stint as acting corporation counsel in 2011, when Williamson served three months as acting city administrator. This year, he began filling in for Williamson after he announced he was leaving to become executive director of the Plainfield Municipal Utilities Authority as of July 1.

I can't find any notice of Minchello's appointment as city solicitor for 2012.

 When Williamson tried to get Minchello's pay and other belated matters on the council's agenda earlier in the year, he alluded to people having been "carried over" from the 2011 six-month transitional year.

I would just like to understand more about this situation. See what the City Charter says:

Sec. 2:4-3.    Assistant Corporation Counsels.

    The Corporation Counsel may with the written approval of the Mayor and the advice and consent of the Council, appoint bond counsel, and two (2) Assistant Corporation Counsels, to serve at his/her pleasure. The first assistant shall be designated as City Solicitor and the second assistant as City Prosecutor. In the event of the temporary absence or inability of the Corporation Counsel to act, the City Solicitor may serve temporarily in his/her place and stead.

(A.C. 1969, 4.3, as amended May 5, 1969; MC 1998-01, § 1, January 28, 1998.)