Variety Of Attorneys Serve County's Needs
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
In today's society, attorneys are necessary to represent anyone and everyone, including county government.
Many counties have one attorney to represent the entire county.
In Kosciusko County that would be a myth.
The fact is that each department of Kosciusko County government has its own lawyer.
Mike Miner, of Valentine & Miner Law Office, is legal representative for the county commissioners. He receives an annual salary of $16,000 for the basic duties, he said. Those duties include attending meetings and providing the commissioners with advice. He also covers special cases wherein he sends the commissioners an hourly bill.
Last year, the commissioners rewrote the county employee handbook. Miner provided assistance with the handbook and received compensation for his time, he said.
He is not the only attorney who may represent the commissioners.
"If I have a conflict with someone they are suing, or if it's an area of law that needs a person specialized in a point of law, they may seek outside council," Miner said.
"They might just want another attorney to represent them."
Other bodies of county government seek legal counsel from different attorneys.
The Area Plan Commission uses the services of Mike Reed, of Reed & Earhart, for legal representation.
Reed is not on retainer, Ordinance Administrator Cinda Overmeyer said.
She said he is paid $115 per hour and the commission always appropriates funds every year for legal services.
In 1994 and 1995, $13,000 was appropriated for legal services each year. In 1996, $13,500 was appropriated. In both 1997 and 1998, additional approprations for legal services came to $16,500 each year, Overmeyer said.
Not all areas of county government pay large amounts for legal assistance. The county recorder's office uses less money for legal services than what they budget.
Alice Anglin, recorder for Kosciusko County, said her attorney is on retainer for $500 a year. If legal services exceed that amount, she will pay him the excess. Last year's legal expenditures were approximately $507.
Attorney Mike Reed also represents the recorder's office when necessary.
"I haven't been sued yet," Anglin said, knocking on wood.
Anglin said the recorder's office was represented by their own legal counsel for the past two years. Reed answers questions about letters received by the recorder's office from the public. He may also write letters for the office if they concerns legal matters.
The recorder's office records more than 175 different types of documents. Once the documents are recorded, they are made public. It is a process larger than many people of Kosciusko understand, she said.
There are many parts of county government, and many of those parts are not necessarily understood by the public. For that reason as well as many others, the county needs legal representation.
The county just doesn't use only one attorney. [[In-content Ad]]
In today's society, attorneys are necessary to represent anyone and everyone, including county government.
Many counties have one attorney to represent the entire county.
In Kosciusko County that would be a myth.
The fact is that each department of Kosciusko County government has its own lawyer.
Mike Miner, of Valentine & Miner Law Office, is legal representative for the county commissioners. He receives an annual salary of $16,000 for the basic duties, he said. Those duties include attending meetings and providing the commissioners with advice. He also covers special cases wherein he sends the commissioners an hourly bill.
Last year, the commissioners rewrote the county employee handbook. Miner provided assistance with the handbook and received compensation for his time, he said.
He is not the only attorney who may represent the commissioners.
"If I have a conflict with someone they are suing, or if it's an area of law that needs a person specialized in a point of law, they may seek outside council," Miner said.
"They might just want another attorney to represent them."
Other bodies of county government seek legal counsel from different attorneys.
The Area Plan Commission uses the services of Mike Reed, of Reed & Earhart, for legal representation.
Reed is not on retainer, Ordinance Administrator Cinda Overmeyer said.
She said he is paid $115 per hour and the commission always appropriates funds every year for legal services.
In 1994 and 1995, $13,000 was appropriated for legal services each year. In 1996, $13,500 was appropriated. In both 1997 and 1998, additional approprations for legal services came to $16,500 each year, Overmeyer said.
Not all areas of county government pay large amounts for legal assistance. The county recorder's office uses less money for legal services than what they budget.
Alice Anglin, recorder for Kosciusko County, said her attorney is on retainer for $500 a year. If legal services exceed that amount, she will pay him the excess. Last year's legal expenditures were approximately $507.
Attorney Mike Reed also represents the recorder's office when necessary.
"I haven't been sued yet," Anglin said, knocking on wood.
Anglin said the recorder's office was represented by their own legal counsel for the past two years. Reed answers questions about letters received by the recorder's office from the public. He may also write letters for the office if they concerns legal matters.
The recorder's office records more than 175 different types of documents. Once the documents are recorded, they are made public. It is a process larger than many people of Kosciusko understand, she said.
There are many parts of county government, and many of those parts are not necessarily understood by the public. For that reason as well as many others, the county needs legal representation.
The county just doesn't use only one attorney. [[In-content Ad]]