Hempstead Town Supervisor Laura Gillen removed the individual names of Town Board members last Monday from a lawsuit that she filed in April in an effort to nullify a no lay-off clause the town voted in under former Supervisor Anthony Santino’s control.
The suit is now against Santino, the board and the local civil service union.
Councilwoman Erin King Sweeney was one of three council members to vote against the clause in December, along with Councilman Bruce Blakeman and Councilwoman Dorothy Goosby.
Sweeney publicly disputed with Gillen at a town meeting in April over whether the board members were being sued personally or in their capacity as board members.
Sweeney disagreed with Gillen, the plaintiff, when Gillen said the members were only being sued in their capacity as board members.
Both women are attorneys.
The amended lawsuit also includes the addition of eight taxpayers as plaintiffs, according to Newsday, which also reported that the Town Board voted last Tuesday to hire the Lake Success-based firm Abrams Fensterman to represent Gillen.
Gillen said she would instruct the firm to only represent her, not the taxpayers, even though the firm planned to do so at no extra charge, according to Newsday.
The board also voted to hire separate law firms for all Town Board members except Blakemen at the meeting, according to Newsday.
Blakeman, also an attorney, has said he will represent himself.
Legal fees will be paid through the general fund’s undistributed fees and services account, according to Newsday.
The firms, except Sweeney’s representation, will be paid $975 a day for trial work and $225 an hour for nontrial work, according to Newsday.
Sweeney’s firm, Debevoise & Plimpton LLP, has rates of $800 an hour for partners, $600 an hour for associates and $175 an hour for project assistants, legal assistants and summer associates, according to Newsday.
