City officials will exchange thoughts this week on possible changes to its corporation counsel office. The topic is scheduled to be discussed Thursday during the Auburn City Council meeting.

The discussion will focus on whether the city should continue with the office in its current form or hire a full-time counsel. Local, part-time attorneys John Rossi and Andrew Fusco currently make up the office.

The meeting is scheduled as a work session, which means the public will not be heard. The discussion will be between city council members and City Manager Mark Palesh.

Palesh said he expects the forum to be a “free-for-all” among the council, who can weigh the pros and cons of the office in its current state and suggest possible alternatives.

“(The topic) keeps coming up on and off,” said Palesh, who renegotiated Rossi's and Fusco's contracts last year. “I thought I would just hit it head on before we get into the budget.”

Though the city council approves the budget each year, the city manager has the authority to choose the corporation counsel, Palesh said. The office has been occupied by multiple, part-time lawyers since former city attorney Thomas Leone was

elected Cayuga County Judge.

Auburn Mayor Michael Quill said discussions about the office do not stem from sub-standard service from Fusco or Rossi, who he said are both “excellent, hard-working attorneys.” But city officials have raised concerns over access with a part-time counsel staff, he said.

“We want to make sure that we're getting the best services for what we are paying,” Quill said. “And I want to hear what Mr. Palesh's idea is for what will serve us best.”

Councilor Matt Smith, who requested at a meeting last month that this issue be discussed in a work session, said the current system is cost-effective, and Rossi and Fusco serve the city well. The salaries renegotiated in September for Fusco and Rossi together come to $110,400 annually.

“I can't see paying $130,000 or $140,000 a year for a full-time counsel that works 35 hours a week,” Smith said.

Smith added that he would not like to see the position being used for political favors.

“The corporation counsel office is not a job to be given for party loyalty,” Smith said. “I hope that all the city council has an open mind going into this issue and looks at what is best and most cost-effective for the city.”

But councilor Thomas McNabb said Auburn needs a full-time corporation counsel. When he was a safety inspector for the city, Auburn had part-time attorneys, and when he needed to discuss claims against the city, he would often have to chase attorneys “all over town,” he said.

“Part-time does not work,” McNabb said. “If you have a legal question, you can't put it off for a couple days. You need to get it resolved.”

Staff writer Christopher Caskey can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 282 or christopher.caskey@lee.net.