Elmhurst Likely To Hike Legal Budget

ELMHURST, IL – Elmhurst plans to increase its legal budget by a third next year, largely because of union contract negotiations, an official said.

The city is now negotiating with its police officers union. Next year, talks are planned with the firefighters union for its new contract. After that will be the public works union.

"We have increased the amount that we think we will need," City Manager Jim Grabowski told aldermen Tuesday.

He also said the city added $100,000 for the possibility of hiring a special counsel or lobbyist to handle issues related to the planned Metra train station.

Mayor Scott Levin said that money would not go to the city's main law firm, Rosemont-based Storino, Ramello & Durkin.

"That's for a special counsel who would have particular expertise in railroad law if we need it," the mayor said.

Levin said Elmhurst is a town that has a lot of demand for legal services, whether the work is generated from the City Council, residents or proposed developments.

"I am very pleased with our legal counsel and what work they have done for us," the mayor said. "I feel it's always been very timely, and as we look at some of the litigation we've done, we've gotten some excellent results."

The city's proposed legal budget for next year is $908,000, up from the estimated expenditures of $679,200 this year.