Battle continues over attorney

The Troy City Council and the Mayor Don

Banning continue to battle over selecting a city attorney.

During its regular meeting Wednesday,

Banning suggested Jim Reintsma as the city’s attorney and asked the

council to approve the appointment.

However, the council refused.

“I have not seen any qualifications on

him or any other attorney,” councilmember John Clogston said. “We

haven’t been given a chance to make an informed decision.”

Mayor Don Banning said it was his job

to select an attorney and the council must approve the

appointment.

“There is another part of government

that handles that,” he said in response to Clogston’s comment.

“There is an executive branch and a legislative branch. Everyone

wants to do a job they’re not supposed to do.”

Choosing a city attorney has become a

point of contention between the mayor and council. The City of Troy

has been without an attorney since January. Several council

meetings later and they have yet to resolve the issue.

Last month, the council voted down a

motion to hire Reintsma.

The city reopened the position for

applications, but Reintsma remained Banning’s choice.

Reintsma addressed the council

Wednesday advising the city to select an attorney.

“The City of Troy is digging itself a

hole,” he said.

Reintsma urged the council to get to

know him before voting against him.

“When it comes to this appointment I

want to talk to you,” he said.

The council listed a number of reasons

why members feel Reintsma isn’t a good fit.

“I don’t want to share an attorney with

the City of Libby,” councilmember Phil Fisher said.

Councilmember Fran McCully noted that

Reintsma has a private practice, serves as Libby’s city attorney

and would be adding Troy to that list.

“I think that spreads you pretty thin,”

McCully said. “We want our own attorney.”

Reintsma pointed out that the attorney

positions with both cities are not full-time jobs.

“The City of Libby is half time, this

is quarter-time,” he said. “Nobody can work a quarter-time job and

live.”

The city council was scheduled to hold

a special meeting on hiring an attorney Monday after presstime.