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Two attorneys hired; city expected to save $30,000
By Carol Broeder\Arizona Range News
The City of Willcox has two new attorneys on staff.
City Council unanimously approved contracts for Hector M. Figueroa of Willcox and Wyatt James Palmer of Thatcher at its special meeting last month. Councilman Phil Stratton was absent.
Each attorney will receive $2,500 per month, with an additional $100 per hour after the first 35 hours, said City Clerk Christy Whelan.
That adds up to about $60,000 per year combined for the two attorneys.
City Manager Mike Leighton believes that paying the additional money "will be rare." "We are able to take care of certain legal matters ourselves without having to consult an attorney," he told the Range News last week. "We have become pretty frugal and will continue to be that way."
City Council voted unanimously in April to eliminate the salaried employee position of city attorney, held for 26 years by former City Attorney Jim Holland. He was receiving a salary of $70,678,40 per year.
Mayor Woody Johnson said at the time that going out to bid for a city attorney would save the city $30,000 or $40,000 in employee costs.
"We believe we will save about $30,000 per year," said Leighton, adding that the city had been paying Holland more than $90,000, which includes his "fringe benefits," such as health insurance.
The contract for Palmer, who will serve as the city's prosecutor, is retroactive to Tuesday, May 1.
Figueroa's contract was effective immediately at the May 23 meeting. He will provide legal services to the city.
Though an executive session was on the agenda for that evening, Palmer chose to discuss his appointment in open session, while Figueroa elected to have the closed session.
The council had voted unanimously at its May 8 meeting directing city staff to negotiate contracts with Palmer and Figueroa.
Palmer, who has a private law practice in Thatcher, has been Thatcher's prosecutor since November 2004, prosecutor and city attorney for Pima since July 2005, and prosecutor for the Town of Clifton since June 2006.
His legal experience began in 2001 when he entered the Thomas M. Cooley Law School in Lansing, Mich.
Palmer's background also includes "10 years of experience as a full-time police officer for local agencies, 15 years on the Thatcher Fire Department, was a private investigator, and ran my own business for more than 20 years"
Figueroa graduated from law school at the University of Arizona in 1988, and has been in private practice with H.M. Figueroa & Associates in Tucson since 1989.
He has been the city attorney, on a contract basis, for the City of South Tucson since 2000.
In other matters that evening, the council unanimously approved a resolution adopting the new city employee handbook, as well as declaring the document as public record and declaring an emergency to exist. Doing so made the resolution effective immediately upon its passage and adoption.
City Council unanimously approved contracts for Hector M. Figueroa of Willcox and Wyatt James Palmer of Thatcher at its special meeting last month. Councilman Phil Stratton was absent.
Each attorney will receive $2,500 per month, with an additional $100 per hour after the first 35 hours, said City Clerk Christy Whelan.
That adds up to about $60,000 per year combined for the two attorneys.
City Manager Mike Leighton believes that paying the additional money "will be rare." "We are able to take care of certain legal matters ourselves without having to consult an attorney," he told the Range News last week. "We have become pretty frugal and will continue to be that way."
City Council voted unanimously in April to eliminate the salaried employee position of city attorney, held for 26 years by former City Attorney Jim Holland. He was receiving a salary of $70,678,40 per year.
Mayor Woody Johnson said at the time that going out to bid for a city attorney would save the city $30,000 or $40,000 in employee costs.
"We believe we will save about $30,000 per year," said Leighton, adding that the city had been paying Holland more than $90,000, which includes his "fringe benefits," such as health insurance.
The contract for Palmer, who will serve as the city's prosecutor, is retroactive to Tuesday, May 1.
Figueroa's contract was effective immediately at the May 23 meeting. He will provide legal services to the city.
Though an executive session was on the agenda for that evening, Palmer chose to discuss his appointment in open session, while Figueroa elected to have the closed session.
The council had voted unanimously at its May 8 meeting directing city staff to negotiate contracts with Palmer and Figueroa.
Palmer, who has a private law practice in Thatcher, has been Thatcher's prosecutor since November 2004, prosecutor and city attorney for Pima since July 2005, and prosecutor for the Town of Clifton since June 2006.
His legal experience began in 2001 when he entered the Thomas M. Cooley Law School in Lansing, Mich.
Palmer's background also includes "10 years of experience as a full-time police officer for local agencies, 15 years on the Thatcher Fire Department, was a private investigator, and ran my own business for more than 20 years"
Figueroa graduated from law school at the University of Arizona in 1988, and has been in private practice with H.M. Figueroa & Associates in Tucson since 1989.
He has been the city attorney, on a contract basis, for the City of South Tucson since 2000.
In other matters that evening, the council unanimously approved a resolution adopting the new city employee handbook, as well as declaring the document as public record and declaring an emergency to exist. Doing so made the resolution effective immediately upon its passage and adoption.
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