City Considers Hiring a Full-Time Law Director After $60,000 in Outside Legal Fees

Left to Right: Councilman Don Wells, Councilman Bob Osborn, Councilman Jamie Knowles, Councilman David Nanstad, Auditor Mary Kay Vance, Mayor Pat Haley, Council President Matthew Purkey

At the September 18, 2025, Mayor Pat Haley’s office requested $60,000 from the general fund to use on “consultant services” due to ongoing litigation. Haley stated, “As you well know, there’s a lot of litigation going on right now, and the law director has met with outside counsel and now we’re paying the bills.” The mayor continued on to say that it was “pretty expensive” and that they are “running a little bit short [on funds].” He explained that he would like the requested supplemental funds to be able to finish “it” and expressed his hope for a quick resolution.

In response to the request, Council Member Josh Schlabach suggested hiring a full-time law director for the City of Wilmington. Mayor Haley stated that it “makes sense,” as the money saved would be significant and could be applied in-house to a salary for a full-time law director.

Council President Matt Purkey remarked that because Wilmington is a Statutory City, the law director cannot be a full-time position. He stated, “Unfortunately, the director of law is considered a part-time position under the Ohio Revised Code, so we can’t change that…”

Later, Mayor Haley spoke about issues with boards and commissions, as many of the positions are individuals from the community appointed by the mayor. He stated, “[They’re] good people, the problem is, they have no training or background in the decisions that they’re making… but yet those decisions that are made, are some of the most important decisions in the City of Wilmington.” Haley mentioned the Park Board as an example and stated, “The Ohio Revised Code is very vague on the setup of the Park Board… This is a hassle for the administration… The administration ends up dealing with the problems every week or so; something comes up. What we are trying to do is fix this fundamental problem that’s been a problem for years.” Haley even commented on current litigation, stating, “It’s not that we want to micromanage, I can tell you we have enough to do, but some of the lawsuits we are getting are from these appointments.”

To learn more or view previous City Council meetings, visit wilmingtonohio.gov.