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HOLLIDAYSBURG -- Blair County commissioners cast a 2-to-1 vote Tuesday in favor of contracting with a Pittsburgh law firm for solicitor services, thereby ending the county's longtime tradition of relying on a Hollidaysburg law firm.
Commissioners Dave Kessling and Amy Webster voted Tuesday to approve an agreement with Gabriel Fera PC to provide the bulk of the county's solicitor services for a maximum of $150,000 through the end of 2024.
Commissioner Laura Burke voted against the motion after explaining that she would prefer to retain solicitor Nathan Karn and assistant solicitor Jeff Muriceak of Evey Black Attorneys LLC of Hollidaysburg for their expertise and excellent service.
She said she would have supported a motion to rely on Gabriel Fera PC for labor matters now referred to Harrisburg-based McNees Wallace and prison-related matters now referred to Campbell Durant, a law firm with offices in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia.
Kessling and Webster, however, voted in favor of using Gabriel Fera at the hourly rate of $225 for a partner, $210 for a senior associate, $190 for an associate and $145 for a paralegal.
Kessling, who said the firm will bill the county in increments, has offered its assurance that the expense will not exceed $150,000 in 2024.
Kessling said his review of the county's annual cost of legal services shows that cost adding up to about $500,000 annually. For 2021, 2022 and 2023, fiscal reports show it totaling $1.47 million, which Kessling described as excessive.
"It makes no sense that we're spending this much money," he said.
Burke pointed out later that a portion of the $477,662 spent in 2023 for legal services was reimbursed by the state and not covered by county taxpayers. But she also acknowledged the county's reliance on McNees Wallace and Campbell Durant has been expensive and makes up a major portion of the county's annual cost of legal services, which she estimated to be about $300,000.
Kessling, however, pointed out that the county's 2024 budget included $163,565 to cover salaries and benefits for Karn and Muriceak.
"That in itself exceeds what this law firm is going to charge," Kessling said.
Webster said she shared Kessling's concern about the amount the county is spending for legal services that the Gabriel Fera law firm will be able to handle.
"This is a necessary decision," Webster said. "We have to spend as wisely as we can."
Retired longtime Commissioner Donna Gority, upon learning of the board's pending action, sent commissioners an email on Tuesday urging them to reconsider. Gority, who worked with Karn when she was a commissioner, spoke of Karn's knowledge and expertise in county government and its responsibilities that include election management.
"To do this in the midst of a contentious election year is unconscionable," the former commissioner said.
Kessling and Webster said they see this move as a way for the county to spend less to the benefit of its taxpayers. Both pointed to that goal as they spoke in the direction of Margaret Ebersole, a property owner who attended Tuesday's commissioners meeting to complain about the increase in her county real estate property taxes.
The bills were recently mailed to property owners and Ebersole said her increase was more than 10%.
"We're supposed to live within our means but it appears that the county offices aren't," Ebersole said.
Burke told Kessling and Webster that she didn't think the decision was "well researched or thought through," prompting Kessling to reference a recent executive session where the commissioners discussed the pending action. Their plans didn't become public until Monday when their meeting agenda was posted online.
When Burke asked Tuesday if any local firms were considered for the legal work being assigned to Gabriel Fera, Kessling said he didn't think any local firm could handle it.
Burke responded that some members of the county's bar association might disagree.
Mirror Staff Writer Kay Stephens is at 814-946-7456.