State Supreme Court Rules Meriden Corp Counsel Improperly Holds Seat

The state Supreme Court upheld a decision that Meriden Corporation Counsel Michael Quinn is improperly holding his position.

The opinion was unanimous and released Friday morning. Quinn will have to vacate the position.

The city council held a meeting on Dec. 2, 2013. Mayor Manuel Santos attempted to make a recommendation for an appointee to corporation counsel, but it was rejected by majority leader Brian Daniels, according to the ruling document.

Quinn had been recommended by former Mayor Michael Rhode and the city council. A lower court determined the council had no authority to appoint Quinn to the position because the recommendation didn’t come from current Mayor Santos.

The matter was appealed to the state Supreme Court, where Quinn argued that the city charter had been misinterpreted.

In the present case, as we have explained previously

herein, the plain language of the § C3-3J of the Meriden

City Charter clearly and unambiguously provides that

‘‘the [m]ayor shall recommend any and all appointments

to officers or positions within the appointing power

of the [c]ity [c]ouncil . . . .’’ Therefore, any resort to

extratextual evidence in the present case, including the

longstanding practice of the mayor and the city council,

is not necessary. Accordingly, we find the defendant’s

reliance on Noel Canning unavailing.

We conclude that the trial court properly determined

that the charter requires the recommendation of the

mayor for the appointment of the city’s corporation

counsel. Accordingly, on the basis of these undisputed

facts, we affirm the judgment of the trial court granting

the writ of quo warranto filed by the plaintiffs and

ordering the defendant’s removal from the office of

corporation counsel.

The judgment is affirmed

Daniels told the Record-Journal the council would wait until the decision was officially released and would vote in late December on Santos’ recommendation.

Read the full ruling here.

Image via State Supreme Court