City council OKs deal with police board lawyer
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One of the controversies that's dogged the Citizen Police Review Board in recent months may be close to a resolution with Pittsburgh City Council's preliminary vote Wednesday on a new contract with the board's solicitor.
Council voted to approve a one-year contract of up to $45,000 with attorney Hugh McGough. A final vote is set for Tuesday.
Mr. McGough and his former law partner, William Ward, last fall resigned because of a disagreement with the city law department over contract terms. That disagreement came amid the board's tussle with city officials over documents for an investigation of police conduct during the G-20 Summit and also followed a shakeup in board membership that Mayor Luke Ravenstahl proposed in June.
The law department wanted the board attorneys to provide additional malpractice insurance and proposed that the city be able to fire them without consulting the board. The law department also sought wider latitude for suing the board attorneys for breach of contract if it believed the board violated a law while following legal advice.
Mr. Ward called the proposals "unprecedented" and "unreasonable." Beth Pittinger, board executive director, called them an attempt to undercut the board's authority while it probed police conduct during the G-20.
The board still is seeking police documents on the G-20. New members were sworn in last fall after council questioned Mr. Ravenstahl's proposed shakeup, which he said was unrelated to the G-20 probe, for about six weeks. Last month, Mr. Ward gave up his law practice to be chief of staff to Gov. Tom Corbett.
On Wednesday, Ms. Pittinger said the disagreement over Mr. McGough's contract had been addressed to his satisfaction and hers. Mr. McGough couldn't be reached for comment.
Mr. McGough is a former journalist and assistant city solicitor. He is a candidate for district judge in the East End.
First Published February 24, 2011 12:00 am
